After news last month that the economy added 200,000 jobs in December, there was talk that this month’s job numbers would be disappointing by comparison. Earlier this week, for example, economists predicted the economy had gained just 135,000 jobs in January.

It was more than a pleasant surprise then, when the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly employment report showed that 243,000 jobs were added in January, the largest monthly gain since April 2011. The increase was significant enough to drop the unemployment rate to 8.3 percent, a three-year low point. According to the New York Times, today’s report is “the strongest signal yet that an economic recovery [is] spreading to the jobs market.”

Other signs that the job market recovery is picking up speed?

1. According to the Conference Board’s monthly Help Wanted Online report, the number of advertised job openings online increased by 61,300 in January, to 4,383,400. Online job postings increased by 207,118 year-over-year.

2. Yesterday, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the number of first-time filings for unemployment insurance fell to 367,000 last week. Economists consider fewer than 400,000 new filings per week to be a sign of strong hiring trends.The four-week filing average, a more stable indicator of UI claims, fell to 375,500 — the second lowest four-week average since June 2008.

3. CareerBuilder recently released a list of 22 companies that are currently looking to hire a total of more than 38,000 new employees around the country.

What are your thoughts on the job market? Let us know in the comments section, below.

Courtesy: The Work Buzz

During President Barack Obama’s recent State of the Union speech, he went to great lengths to emphasize the importance of job creation in the U.S. Even if this wasn’t an election year, you’d be hearing a lot of talk from politicians and the media about job growth. Although we’ve seen an upward trend of job creation in the past two years, the workforce is still reeling from the 2007-2009 recession.

Although the job market has changed for job seekers, some things are still the same. Workers want to find jobs that they’re qualified for, that align with their interests and that have a future. Job seekers don’t just want any job, they want options.

Luckily, many employers today are hiring aggressively. Below is a list of 22 companies that are hiring in large volume. Each company below is looking to hire at least 300 new employees, and some companies, such as Starbucks and Amazon, are looking to hire thousands.

These companies cover many industries and job titles, so job seekers of all backgrounds are in demand. Whether you’re in health care, manufacturing or finance, you might find your new job at one of these companies. (As one radio station points out, these are not only jobs available now but they’re also jobs with companies that treat their employees well. You can’t beat that.)

1. Starbucks
Number of jobs: 13,000 (retail) 400+ (professional services)
Sample job titles: Retail, information technology, supply chain operations and finance

2. Amazon.com
Number of jobs: 3,000+
Sample job titles: Software development engineers, product managers, operations managers, and communications and product marketing managers

3. The Boeing Company
Number of jobs: 500+
Sample job titles: Engineering, airplane manufacturing, cyber security and intelligence and business functions like finance

4. Citibank
Number of jobs: 2,500
Sample job titles: Customer service, personal banker, home lending specialist, business development officer – commercial banking

5. Adventist Health System
Number of jobs: 2,500+
Sample job titles: Allied health professionals, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, registered nurses

6. Time Warner Cable
Number of jobs: 500+
Sample job titles: Direct sales reps, customer service reps, technicians and IT and engineering

7. State Farm Insurance
Number of jobs: 2,600
Sample job titles: Actuarial, agency department, banking, claims, creative services, customer service, information technology/systems, legal/litigation, public relations/communications, underwriting

8. Deloitte
Number of jobs: 3,300
Sample job titles: Client service professionals in all business segments including accounting, assurance and advisory, risk, tax, strategy, financial, technology and human capital

9. URS
Number of jobs: 4,300
Sample job titles: Engineering, logistics/supply/procurement, business operations/admin/IT, construction, project/program management, aviation, environmental/sciences, health and safety/homeland security operations and maintenance

10. ADP
Number of jobs: 2,000+
Sample job titles: Sales, implementation, JAVA development, client services, HR

11. T-Mobile USA
Number of jobs: 1,000+
Sample job titles: Retail sales, business sales, corporate and technology

12. Humana Inc.
Number of jobs: 2,200
Sample job titles: Various, including sales, pharmacy, nurses, physicians, service operations, IT

13. Bridgestone Retail Operations
Number of jobs: 1,000+
Sample job titles: Retail sales managers, service managers, automotive technicians, master technicians

14. Universal Health Services
Number of jobs: 1,500+
Sample job titles: Accounting, allied health, education, executives (CEO, CFO, CNO, COO), food and nutritional services, healthcare—rehab, ICU, IT, L&D, nursing and office/clerical

15. Koch Industries
Number of jobs: 1,000
Sample job titles: Engineers, IT, operations

16. Black and Veatch
Number of jobs: 500
Sample job titles: Mechanical and electrical engineers, project managers

17. Advanced Technology Services
Number of jobs: 1,000+
Sample job titles: Manufacturing maintenance technicians – field service representatives

18. Burns & McDonnell
Number of jobs: 300
Sample job titles: Civil and environmental engineers, project managers

19. Gentiva Home Health and Hospice
Number of jobs: 1,800+
Sample job titles: Home health and hospice registered nurses, home health and hospice LPNs, nurse management, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, occupational therapist assistants, single site and multi-site operation management, physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, sales executives

20. USA
Number of jobs: 320+
Sample job titles: Install technicians, customer service, IT tech

21. Certified Payment Processing
Number of jobs: 366
Sample job titles: Sales/account management

22. Bayada Home Health Care
Number of jobs: 300+
Sample job titles: Nursing, assistive care, therapies, medical social work, rehabilitation, hospice, non-clinical support and marketing/sales

Courtesy: The Work Buzz

This weekend, the New England Patriots will take on the New York Giants in what is sure to be an exciting game. As the game edges closer, there’s been tons of coverage analyzing the two teams, their strengths and weaknesses and the odds for and against each team winning.

Also being compared are the two quarterbacks, Tom Brady and Eli Manning, so we thought it would be interesting to see how their qualities would help them in a job search. To assist, I enlisted Ben Finfer, producer and on-air host at 670-AM The Score in Chicago, who provided insight into both players’ strengths and weaknesses.

Quantifying accomplishments on a résumé
A strong résumé not only speaks to the success of a candidate but it also quantifies his success. Brady has many quantifiable results to share, including winning three NFL championships and two championship MVPs, as well as holding the NFL record for most touchdown passes in a single regular season. Manning, on the other hand, could play up his championship win in the 2007 season against the previously undefeated New England Patriots, showing that he can tackle even the toughest of challenges. Manning could also highlight his championship MVP win.

Both Brady and Manning have won numerous accolades and broken several records. So they would both need to be careful that their résumés don’t just turn into a long list of accomplishments, but instead highlight the accomplishments that pertain to the specific jobs for which they are applying.

Emphasizing strengths on a cover letter
Cover letters are the place where candidates can expand on both their hard and soft skills and give their “pitch” on why they are the best candidate for the job. Both Brady and Manning could use the cover letter to speak to their leadership experience, since quarterbacks are often seen as their team’s leaders. They can also reference how they are good in the clutch, meaning, they can turn things around in the fourth quarter to win a game. Giving specific examples of how they’ve done this will help paint a picture for prospective employers.

Performance during an interview
Some people are more naturally articulate than others and can handle high-pressure situations without appearing nervous, while others hone their speaking and performance skills through practice and experience. While Brady’s charisma may make him more of a natural at giving media interviews, both have had plenty of experience talking to reporters, since, as Finfer points out, quarterbacks are often their team’s spokesperson. Brady and Manning have represented their teams well in both the good times and bad, experiences that would help them in a job interview, where it’s important to appear calm and confident.

Handling tough interview questions
Sure, it’s easy to speak to your day-to-day tasks and accomplishments during an interview, but the true test comes when asked tougher interview questions. Both the way you answer the question and the answer itself are important. Here, some potential questions Brady and Manning could get asked during a job interview, and how they could answer them successfully.

• Loyalty/commitment to a company: Brady was drafted to the New England Patriots in 2000 and hasn’t left the team since, and although Manning was drafted to the San Diego Chargers, he was immediately traded to the New York Giants, his current team. So both Brady and Manning could speak to their commitment and loyalty, having only worked for one organization. That’s something that is very rare in today’s workforce and could help them stand out in an interview.  
• Flexibility: Flexibility is a quality that many employers look for in a candidate given today’s up-and-down economy. Employers want someone who can easily adapt to changing situations and is open to taking on a variety of tasks, even if outside his main responsibilities. Finfer notes that both Brady and Manning receive scrutiny, being two of the most high-profile players in the league, so they’ve learned to roll with the punches. In addition, Finfer notes that they’ve both handled frequent roster changes well — something that could easily shake up a team – and have been able to sustain success.
• Overcoming adversity: Employers also like to hear examples of how a candidate handled a difficult situation and persevered. Manning could speak to how he comes from a family of famous football players, so he’s had to prove his own worth and come out from under his successful family’s shadow. Brady could reference his knee injury – how he dealt with it without letting it get him down and eventually led his team to another national championship game. 
• Learning from mistakes: According to Finfer, some people believe Manning has made mistakes on the field, but instead of letting it faze him, he’s been able to learn from them and move on. Everyone makes mistakes on the job once and awhile, so job seekers shouldn’t be afraid to address those errors. What employers want to see is what lesson the candidate took away and how it made him a better employee.

Networking and references
Networking is a key part of the job-search process, because it helps you establish relationships with contacts that could potentially lead to a job opportunity. Manning already has an established network, given his family connections, but it would still be helpful for him to go out on his own and meet new people so he can build relationships that are his alone. When seeking job references, you want to enlist people with whom you’ve worked closely, so they can speak to your specific skills and accomplishments. Finfer notes that Brady has a great relationship with his boss, head coach Bill Belichick, so that would be a good reference pick for him.

Both Brady and Manning have the qualities of a star quarterback, so either one could lead his team to victory this Sunday. And hey, if football doesn’t work out, at least we know they’ve got what it takes to conduct a successful job search.

Courtesy: The Work Buzz