Saturday, June 25, 2011

Best And Worst Cities For Jobs This Summer

Image: Grand Rapids, Mich.
Istockphoto
The Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich., region enjoys a 24 percent net employment outlook, the percentage of employers that expect to add employees (30 percent) minus the percentage that expect to reduce their workforce (6 percent).
By Jacquelyn Smith

Employers in all 50 states expect the bleak employment picture to perk up during the three-month period ending in September. In fact, hiring managers in dozens of metropolitan areas anticipate considerable increases in hiring, while others present a darker forecast.

The employment services firm ManpowerGroup has surveyed more than 18,000 employers in 100 metropolitan areas to find out who’s hiring, who’s firing and who plans to maintain their current staff levels in the third quarter of 2011, July through September. Of the surveyed employers, 20 percent anticipate an increase in staffing levels in their second quarter hiring plans, while 8 percent expect a decrease in payrolls. The difference between those numbers gives you what ManpowerGroup calls a net employment outlook of 12 percent — or 8 percent when seasonally adjusted, which is still up from 6 percent for the same period last year. Sixty-nine percent of employers expect no change in their staffing, and the final 3 percent of employers are uncertain.

The survey reveals that the metropolitan area with the most optimistic forecast of all for hiring this summer is Grand Rapids-Wyoming, Mich.

Manufacturers hiring
“This is the strongest outlook we’ve seen in the Grand Rapids-Wyoming market in almost three years,” says Melanie Holmes, a vice president at ManpowerGroup. “The market results are considerably more optimistic than last quarter and one year ago. Among our clients, we’ve seen real strength among manufacturing employers as well as a demand for clerical and customer service support.”

The Grand Rapids-Wyoming region enjoys a 24 percent net employment outlook, the percentage of employers that expect to add employees (30 percent) minus the percentage that expect to reduce their workforce (6 percent). Another 61 percent said they anticipate no change, and 3 percent didn’t know.

“This does not come as a surprise,” says Kevin Stotts, vice president of community programs at the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce. “The employers I have spoke with, either large or small, have been very optimistic over the past several months. In fact, a persistent challenge with many employers in the area has been finding qualified talent to meet their needs. While specific sectors may not have rebounded as quickly, most are doing better than 2010, which was a strong year.”

Some of the region’s biggest employers include Spectrum Health, Amway, Steelcase, Haworth, Herman Miller, Saint Mary’s Health Care and Bissell.

“The area also has one of the largest concentrations of family owned businesses in the country with a strong emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship,” Stotts adds.

Catching up from recession
So why is the region’s hiring outlook so strong this summer?

“Employers across the board shed jobs during the recession and are now hiring again,” Stotts says. “In general, West Michigan’s economy has diversified over the past decade. As a result, it has outperformed other parts of Michigan and the nation in the recovery. I know of many companies that are having great years, particularly in information technology, health care and advanced manufacturing.”

Employers in Asheville, N.C., San Antonio, Texas, and Lancaster, Penn., also anticipate a significant upswing in hiring for the next quarter.

Nearly a third of Asheville employers reported positive forecasts, while 6 percent drew a bleaker picture. Sixty percent said they won’t be changing their employment levels and the remaining 5 percent are unsure of their hiring plans. With a net employment outlook of 23 percent, the metro area with a workforce of more than 205,000 employees is the second best place for finding a job this summer.

San Antonio employers are expressing similar sentiments. Twenty-eight percent of the southwestern metro area’s hiring managers anticipate a bright third quarter. Meanwhile, 7 percent expect to decrease their payrolls, 61 percent anticipate no change and 4 percent are uncertain. This yields a net employment outlook of 21 percent and positions San Antonio as the fourth best place for finding a job this summer. Albany and Milwaukee enjoy the same rank.

Where the jobs aren't
Unfortunately not all cities are as confident about hiring this summer. The net employment outlook in Las Vegas and in Raleigh-Carey, N.C., is a far weaker 2 percent — and those metropolitan areas aren’t even the worst. The Youngstown-Warren-Boardman area, which straddles the Ohio-Pennsylvania border, yields a net employment outlook of just 1 percent for the quarter.

The worst area of all for finding a job this spring: Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, Fla.

Only 9 percent of surveyed Sarasota metro area employers plan to hire between July and September, while 10 percent expect to reduce their staff levels. Seventy-eight percent expect to maintain their current workforce and 3 percent are unsure about their plans. This yields a net employment outlook of -1 percent for the sunny metropolis.

“When we look back at the last two-and-a-half years of our survey results for Bradenton-Sarasota-Venice, there is a pattern of volatility,” Holmes says. “In speaking with our local team, they tell me that the labor market is very tough, not just recently, but for the last three years.”

The Manpower survey also reveals that employers in 11 of the 13 industry sectors reported a positive net outlook. Leisure and hospitality (27 percent), mining (25 percent) and wholesale and retail trade (20 percent) are the most optimistic, overall.

“Although we continue to see hiring energy develop based on sustained year-over-year growth, we recognize that employers are still cautiously optimistic about increasing staffing levels,” Holmes says. “This is a slow jobs recovery, and we anticipate it will continue at this pace for some time. Employers are simply not ready to take on the greater risk of more permanent employees until they see other signs of economic turnaround. And when employers are ready to hire, they will be very selective in hiring the job candidates with the right skills to move their businesses forward.”

Post Source:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43442072/ns/business-forbes_com/

10 Phrases to Ban From Your Resume

Whether you're out of a job as part of the recession's layoffs, everyone is taking a closer look at their resumes. Does it reflect your accomplishments and show your career progression — or hide the lack thereof? If you've been working with an older resume, take a closer look at your language: How many clichés do you have in there? Here are 10 phrases you should ban from your resume, and new, fresh ways to showcase your skills to put your resume at the top of the applicant pile.

1. "I'm a team player."
This is one of the most over-used clichés, so try to find a way you can show that you are this team player. Did you collaborate with someone or with a department to meet an objective? Put that on your resume instead of a vague, clichéd expression. Be detailed about your achievement.

2. "I have great communication skills."
Communication skills can mean so many things, which is why using this term on your resume only makes you lose your recruiter's interest. What communication skills did you use to contribute to your employer? Did you create a presentation, a press release or lead a conference call? State your specific achievement.

3. "I have a proven track record."
So prove it! What did you do to give you this track record? Be specific, and try to quantify your impact; "I brought in 10 new customers, adding $50k profit for 2009" sounds far more impressive than some vague statement, and will help you stand out among the dozens of resumes.

4. "I'm a problem solver."
Everybody loves a problem solver, which is why so many resumes state this skill with pride. You can do better: Tell your prospective company what problem you solved. Did you optimize a troubling schedule, did you solve an employee dispute or did you iron out a problem with a customer? Again, be specific to be memorable.

5. "I assisted In X task."
Maybe you weren't the lead on a particular project, but saying you "assisted" is the kiss of death for your resume. What was it that you did? Did you write a sales report or keep inventory? Write that on your resume with pride, and lose the "assisted" — you're better than that.

6. "I have a strong work ethic."
A strong work ethic — that sounds great, right? You're not the only one using this cliché, so freshen up your resume by stating how you go that extra mile. Did you take a class to improve your skills? Did you meet some really tough deadline? Show the hiring official what makes you this person with a strong work ethic, instead of using another cliché like your fellow applicants.

7. "I'm bottom-line focused."
Another hollow term that is overused and now means nothing — so show what you did that added to the bottom line of your company. It's very important to quantify for this skill: List amounts of money, time, or resources you saved or added to the business.

8. "I'm responsible for X."
We're all responsible for something when we go to work, whether a janitor or a CEO. Drop this expression and just state what your job title is and what you added to the company's success. Cutting these clutter words will make your resume stronger and more to-the-point.

9. "I'm self-motivated."
What you're really trying to say is that you're not that slacker who clocks out at three every day, but this cliché is not going to help you get your point across. Find a way to show that you're self-motivated: Did you overhaul a broken inventory system or find a new way to expand your sales territory? Self-motivated employees find innovative ways to improve on what they've been handed — put what you actually did on your resume.


10. "I'm accustomed to a fast-paced environment."
What does this mean, exactly? Fast-paced work environments are the norm in this recession, where most people do more work for less money. To be specific, look at one of your busiest days in your (former) job. What did you accomplish, and how did you adapt to the obstacles thrown your way? Put that achievement on your resume to prove that you can adapt when challenged — a quality employers look for.

Show, don't tell
Avoid these clichés, because they're umbrella terms everyone uses, so your resume gets lost in the shuffle. In this competitive job market, your resume really needs to stand out and be memorable for you to get that interview. Find ways to be detailed about your achievements, and quantify how you've added to the company's bottom line. Show who you are and what you've done — these details will make you stand out as the memorable candidate you are.

Post source:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37219323/ns/business-careers/

Friday, June 24, 2011

Last Chance Beaches

Now picture that same beach next summer, destroyed. Perhaps it eroded so much that there's barely room to spread out a towel. Maybe a colossal concrete hotel is being built where the sand dunes used to be. Maybe it has been coated with a slick of spilled oil. Hopefully, your slice of paradise will remain well preserved. But at many beaches around the world, nightmares like these are coming true (just ask anyone who lives on the Gulf Coast).


We've selected six beach destinations around the world in danger of disappearing forever due to forces such as erosion, pollution, rising sea levels, reckless overdevelopment, and sand mining. But there are hundreds more. If we don't curb global warming, insist on sustainable development, and protect the world's beaches against pollution and mismanagement, the idyllic shorelines we cherish will be preserved only in memory.


The Maldives

With postcard-ready beaches, unblemished coral reefs, and some of the world's most luxurious resorts, the Maldives are for many a once-in-a-lifetime destination. But the island nation's own lifetime may itself be cut drastically short: Rising sea levels all but doom this string of 26 low-lying atolls in the Indian Ocean, unless the rest of the world acts—quickly—to curb global warming.


With an average elevation of just four feet, the Maldives may, according to some scientists' models, be submerged before the end of the century. Other coastal geologists believe that the islands, which are composed principally of coral, can regenerate more quickly than the water level rises, and that wave action can build up the islands. But rising ocean temperatures—another symptom of global warming—inhibit coral growth, and few Maldivians seem prepared to sit back and take that chance. President Mohamed Nasheed has committed the Maldives to becoming the world's first carbon-neutral nation by 2020, by building a wind farm to meet 40 percent of the electricity demand; installing 5 million square feet of solar panels; recycling agricultural waste as fertilizer; and asking foreign visitors to buy carbon credits. Valiant as these efforts may be, they are unlikely to stem the (literal) tide, so Nasheed is also searching for a new homeland in case the entire population is forced to relocate.


If you go: The Marine Lab at the Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru resort does serious scientific research on marine ecology, coral recovery, and endangered species. Guests can visit the lab and join biologists on dives.


Goa, India

Despite having a coastline that extends over 4,300 miles, India doesn't attract nearly as many visitors to its beautiful beaches as to its temples and palaces. Perhaps that explains why those beaches are so neglected: According to a report by the Asian Development Bank, about 25 percent of India's coastline faces "serious erosion" caused by everything from rising sea levels to the removal of sand dunes to the construction of hundreds of new harbors.


Goa, the former Portuguese colony turned hippie enclave turned chic resort destination, may be where the problem is most visible: The state's entire 63-mile coastline is eroded, and some beaches have lost as much as 65 feet of landmass in recent years. Matanhy Saldana, a social activist and former Goa tourism minister, points to multiple causes, including the construction of a massive naval port and the destruction of vegetation along the shore. At popular Candolim beach (pictured), a ship abandoned after it ran aground in June 2000 is acting as a giant jetty, pulling sand away from the shore. The state recently appealed to the national government for help funding anti-erosion projects, but Goan activists contend that development is taking precedence over ecological matters. "As long as greed prevails and governments and the public don't consider that the environment cannot [be] tampered with, there will be no solution," says Saldana.


If you go: Many of Goa's great beaches, including Velsao, Cansaulim, Utorda, and Miramar, are unaffected by erosion. The brother-and-sister owners of the charming Vivenda dos Palhaços guesthouse in Majorda, South Goa, will help steer you to the highlights.


Phu Quoc, Vietnam

Phu Quoc, a sleepy tropical island off Vietnam's southwest coast, in the Gulf of Thailand, is 220 square miles of near-empty white-sand beaches, unpaved roads, and simple bungalow-style guesthouses, with a population unperturbed by the forces of mass tourism. The handful of foreign visitors who've been there say it's the exact opposite of places like Phuket—and yet, "the next Phuket" is exactly what the Vietnamese government is hoping Phu Quoc will become.


A master plan unveiled by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in May 2010 envisions a world-class tourism center with an international airport (already under construction), cruise ports, casinos, a business and finance hub, and seven million tourists by 2030. That's quite a change from the 162,000 visitors the island received in the first eight months of 2009. The government insists that sustainability and preservation are part of the plan.


Vietnam's hopelessly convoluted and corrupt bureaucracy will make it hard to get much built on Phu Quoc, say insiders, as will the island's relative inaccessibility. So there's still a chance that at least part of Phu Quoc's peaceful, unspoiled vibe will remain untarnished. But the 12-mile stretch of paradise known as Bai Truong (Long Beach) has already seen some concrete cookie-cutter hotels crop up alongside the more charming thatched-roof bungalows.


If you go: Mango Bay, on Long Beach, maintains the low-key Phu Quoc vibe with 31 bungalows made from local materials and furnished with mosquito-netted four-poster beds and solar showers.


Saugatuck Dunes, Michigan

Saugatuck is only 90 miles by boat from Chicago, but a visit to the classic resort town is like a step back in time. Among its many charms are beaches distinguished by the rare freshwater dunes formed by the waves of Lake Michigan. "Right now, you can see the dunes very much as Europeans saw them 200 years ago," says David Swan, president of the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance. Yet they may be in peril. The issue: a development proposed for a parcel of beachfront just outside the gates of Saugatuck Dunes State Park.


While the developer maintains that preserving the local culture and ecology are its top priorities, critics contend that the plan to build about 30 homes, a nine-hole golf course, a 66-slip marina, and a small hotel and condos heralds a drastic and deplorable change. Among the worries: The hotel's nine-story tower would forever alter a landscape that has drawn artists for centuries, and the construction will harm the fragile ecology of the 200-foot-high dunes. Local zoning laws prohibit anything of the scale being proposed, but the developer has filed a series of lawsuits to change them. In response, Saugatuck residents recently voted to raise taxes for a legal defense fund. Meanwhile, the National Trust for Historic Preservation named Saugatuck Dunes on its 2010 list of the country's most endangered historic places, and the developer has threatened to sue for defamation. Much of the shore remains protected, including Oval Beach, its best-known stretch, and an adjacent parcel the developer sold back to the municipality and state for conservation. But the rest of the shoreline—and the future of the town—hang in the balance.


If you go: Stay at the Sea Suites Boat & Breakfast, an inn located on a 105-foot houseboat docked right outside town. It has four large air-conditioned suites with private baths, and a hot tub on the top deck.


Morocco

You'd think that a desert country like Morocco would have enough sand for everyone. But at least a few parties feel the need to steal sand from Morocco's Atlantic beaches. Yes, steal it—by literally bulldozing dunes, trucking the sand away to make cement, and leaving behind ugly lunar landscapes.


Coastal Care, a U.S.–based environmental organization that advocates for the world's beaches, has found destructive sand mining operations in over 30 countries, as far afield as Cambodia, Jamaica, and Australia. But its co-founder, Olaf Guerrand-Hermès, believes that the situation is worst in Morocco, where hundreds of miles have been mined for decades, particularly along the stretch of Atlantic coast between Tangier and Casablanca. Outside the small seaside towns of Larache and Kenitra, for instance, dunes have been completely bulldozed. According to Guerrand-Hermès, who has a home in the area, the sand-mining business is run by a syndicate second in size only to Morocco's drug mafia. The Moroccan government has designated Larache as a target for major resort development, but the large-scale removal of sand makes the beaches unsuitable for tourism. It also ruins turtle and seabird nesting areas and exacerbates erosion problems by removing nature's defenses against storms.


If you go: The northern Moroccan coast—a stretch Budget Travel has called the "next French Riviera"—is still being discovered by visitors. Asilah is known for its restored whitewashed walls and narrow streets; less-polished Larache has a bustling medina and still-intact beaches. Stay at the Hotel Al-Khaima, just outside Asilah and directly across from a gorgeous stretch of sand.


Mullins Bay, Barbados

Most islands in the Caribbean suffer erosion to a certain degree, much of it from natural causes. Barbados, a country dependent on tourism, knows it needs to protect its beaches, but some of its attempts to do so end up making matters worse. Local environmental activists contend that in several places along Barbados's west shore—the famed Platinum Coast, lined with luxury hotels, condos, and expensive homes—erosion has been exacerbated by the construction of seawalls and groins.


On the island's northwest coast, sunbathers used to be able to walk from the popular beach bar on Mullins Beach north for several miles up the sandy shore. Now, there are only impassable boulders, sea walls, and crashing surf. The author of the local Mullins Bay blog blames the construction of three stone groins at St. Peter's Bay, a new condominium development a quarter mile north of Mullins Beach. Installed ostensibly to help build up the beach there, the structures have sapped the adjacent shoreline of sand. Surprisingly, Barbados's Coastal Zone Management Unit, a government agency charged with controlling erosion, approved the groins. It maintains that global warming is the main culprit in the island's erosion problem. Rising sea levels and severe storms certainly play a role, but to protect its shoreline, Barbados also needs to balance the demands of development and preservation.


If you go: Barbados's east coast is less developed but not unfamiliar with the power of the sea. The Crane Resort owes its pink sand beach and spectacular cliff-top position to the waves that crash onto the shore.


Post Source:http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40371626

Best Careers For A Fresh Start

If you want to change careers and are looking for a fresh start, you're not alone.

According to a 2008 MetLife/Civic Ventures survey, nearly 50 percent of Americans over the age of 40 have considered a new career start.

The good news is that if you're willing to put in the work, you could be prepared to pursue a new career in one to two years.

Want a fresh start in a new career? Check out these 5 hot options.

#1 - Medical assistant

Medical assistants provide administrative and clinical help in the doctors' office, scheduling appointments, taking patients' medical histories, and performing day-to-day administrative duties.

Get with the program: If you think a fresh start in this field is what you need, consider enrolling in a medical assisting certificate or associate's degree program, which could take about one to two years to complete, respectively.

Career outlook: Employment of medical assistants is projected to grow 34 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Labor,

Average earning potential: The average annual wage for medical assistants is $28,860. Top earners average at $40,190.*

Find Medical Assisting Programs Near You Now

#2 - Paralegal

If you want a fresh start in the legal field, look into paralegal opportunities. Paralegals play an important role in law firms, helping lawyers by drafting legal documents, investigating cases, and providing assistance during trials.

Get with the program: An associate's degree in paralegal studies generally takes about two years to complete. If you already have a bachelor's degree, earning a certificate in paralegal studies is another option. Certificate programs could be completed in as little as nine months.

Career outlook: Employment of paralegals and legal assistants is projected to grow 28 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor.

Average earning potential: Paralegals have an average annual income of $46,680. The top ten percent average at $74,870.*

Find the Right Paralegal Program for You - Start Now!

#3 - Administrative assistant

Administrative assistants often provide customer support, organize important documents, and schedule meetings.

Get with the program: Consider completing a one- or two-year program in office administration. According to the Department of Labor, opportunities may be best if you have strong knowledge of computer software applications.

Career outlook: Employment for administrative assistants is projected to grow 11 percent between 2008 and 2018.

Average earning potential: The average annual wage for secretaries and administrative assistants is $32,000. The highest 10 percent have an average yearly wage of $46,430.*

Search for Office Administration Programs Now

#4 - Computer support specialist

Computer support specialists usually work as technical or help-desk support, providing support and advice to individuals and organizations that are dependent on information technology.

Get with the program: An associate's degree in a computer-related topic of study could be enough for some computer support positions, according to the Department of Labor.

Career outlook: The Department of Labor says growth for computer support specialists is expected to increase by 14 percent from 2008 to 2018, with the highest growth projected for industries that rely heavily on technology.

Average earning potential: The average annual income for computer support specialists is $46,260 with the top 10 percent averaging at $76,970.*

Find Technology Support Programs Now

#5 - Dental assistant

Dental assistants are the dentist's second pair of hands, prepping the instruments required for procedures and preparing patients for treatment by updating their records and making them comfortable during their appointments.

Get with the program: Consider enrolling in a two-year associate's degree program or a certificate in dental assisting, which could take approximately one year to complete.

Career outlook: Careers in dental assisting are projected to grow by 36 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Department of Labor.

Average earning potential: The average annual wage for dental assistants is $33,470. The top 10 percent average at $47,090.*

Search for Dental Assisting Certificate Programs Now


Post Source:http://education.yahoo.net/articles/best_careers_for_a_fresh_start.htm?kid=1H68Z