CeeBee: CareerBuilder.com's Job Search SmartyPants

GO GREEN!

No, I'm not cheering for my favorite football team - I'm referring a trend that's moving beyond citizens, lawmakers and environmentalists and moving into small businesses and corporations around the country.

"Going green" - preserving the earth’s natural resources and improving our standard our living - is becoming increasing important to job seekers around the country. More and more workers are interested in scoring a job that has a positive impact on the environment and are more inclined to work for a company that’s environmentally friendly.

Companies are listening to this demand and are responding by developing eco-friendly policies - not only to attract talent, but also to increase productivity and decrease absenteeism.

Companies are implementing recycling and community effort programs. Some employers are going as far as reimbursing employees for purchasing fuel-efficient vehicles or finding other means of commuting. With these changes and more, finding an eco-friendly environment has never been easier.

Not studying science but still looking for a “green” career? No worries - Education, communication, business and most other lines of work all have jobs that let you go green. Science teachers and professors educate the public about environmental well-being. Public health officials look out for health and environmental safety. Eco-friendly interior designers and architects create buildings and spaces that save energy without losing style. Housekeepers and dry-cleaners are ditching harsh chemicals and processes in favor of more energy- and air-friendly means of cleaning. The list goes on.

Here are just a few careers to steer you in the green direction:

 

1. Hydrologist: The median annual income is $51,080.*

2. Environmental Engineer: The median annual income is $50,000.

3. Pest Control Technician: The median annual income is $30,500.

4. Conservation Biologist: The median annual income is $52,480.

5. Science Teacher: The median annual income of kindergarten, elementary, middle and secondary school teachers ranges from $41,400 to $45,920.

6. Toxicologist: The median annual income is $79,500.

7. Pollution Control Technician: The median annual income is $32,000.

8. Fund-raising Director: The median annual income is $45,000.

9. Ecologist: The median annual income is $68,950.

10. Camp Counselor: The median annual income is $19,320.

11. Business Manager: The median annual income is $50,000.

12. Economist: The median annual income is $72,780.

13. Forester: The median annual income is $48,230.

14. Environmental Attorney: The median annual income for attorneys specializing in construction, real estate and land use is $70,000.

15. Community Affairs Manager: The median annual income is $56,000.

16. Environmental Health and Safety Technician: The median annual income is $35,500.

17. Landscape Architect: The median annual income is $53,120. For landscape architects in nonsupervisory, supervisory and managerial positions for the federal government, the average annual income was $74,508.

18. Waste Disposal Manager: The median annual income is $35,000.

19. Environmental Chemist: The median annual income is $51,080.

20. Corporate Waste Compliance Coordinator: The median annual income is $39,000.

21. Urban and Regional Planner: The median annual income is $45,250.

22. Agricultural Inspector: The median annual income is $35,000.

23. Wastewater Water Operator: The median annual income is $35,000.

24. Wildlife Biologist: The median annual income is $42,000.

25. Air Quality Engineer: The median annual income is $66,000.

* Salary information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and SalaryExpert.com.

Depressed at work?

A few weeks ago, I commented on mental health in the workplace, specifically how companies can benefit by providing workers with mental health coverage.

On the same note, according to the most recent report by the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), combined data from 2004 to 2006 indicate that an average of 7 percent of full-time workers aged 18 to 64 experienced a major depressive episode (MD) in the past year. The highest rates of MDE were among full-time workers in the personal care and service occupations (10.8 percent) and the food preparation and serving related occupations (10.3 percent).

Here is a full list of the depression rates among full-time workers, according to the report.

• Personal care and service, 10.8 percent
• Food preparation and serving-related, 10.3 percent
• Community and social service, 9.6 percent
• Health-care practitioners and technical, 9.6 percent
• Arts, design, entertainment, sports, media, 9.1 percent
• Education, training and library, 8.7 percent
• Office and administrative support, 8.1 percent
• Building/grounds cleaning, maintenance,7.3 percent
• Financial, 6.7 percent
• Sales and related, 6.7 percent
• Legal, 6.4 percent
• Transportation  and materials moving,  6.4 percent
• Mathematical and computer scientists,  6.2 percent
• Production, 5.9 percent
• Management, 5.8 percent
• Farming, fishing and forestry, 5.6 percent
• Protective services, 5.5 percent
• Construction and extraction , 4.8 percent
• Installation, maintenance and repair, 4.4 percent
• Life, physical and social science, 4.4 percent
• Engineering, architecture and surveyors , 4.3 percent

Etiquette: The Word of the Day

Etiquette seems to be the word of the day today - at least in the workplace.

So far, I've seen an article on MSN about cubical etiquette and then on the way to work, I came across an article in the Red Eye, an edition of the Chicago Tribune.  It was titled, "Oh, Behave! Etiquette Training Helps Employees Mind Their Manners."

The article, written by Alison Shipley, discusses how companies are sending employees to etiquette  workshops and seminars. The piece cites Advanced Equities, an investment bank in Chicago, which required its employees to attend an etiquette training session intended to increase business and create better relationships with clients. The course focused on how to speak professionally on the over, how to deal with difficult clients . Employees of the company said they were grateful for the training because the lessons learned can flow into their personal lives too.

Lori Ann Robinson, the corporate etiquette expert cited in the article, offered the following five etiquette rules when mingling at networking events or dining with executives:

1. Your appearance is a visual extension of your business card. Robinson suggests that for business casual events, women should pair a sweater or knit cardigan with dress pants.
2. Don't give 'em the dead fish. Potential clients consider handshakes and body language; don't just hold their little fingers, Robinson says. Also avoid crushing any bones.
3. Lay off the Crackberry. Put the Blackberry away at meetings and networking events. Pretty simple.
4. Get your hands out of your mouth. Don't put your hands in your mouth in public, especially at a business function, Robinson advises. Just excuse yourself and go to the bathroom.
5. If you're going to be late, call. Be respectful of other people's time, Robinson says. Making someone wait and not giving them an estimated time of arrival is rude and unprofessional.

Seasonal Hiring W's

With summer coming to a close and the holiday season not far around the corner, seasonal hiring is on the rise.

Heather Mayfield, vice president of Training and Operations for Snelling Staffing Services, tells us the who, what, where, when and why of seasonal hiring.

WHO is hiring temporary staff members?

"This is happening more and more at all levels of the organization: Human Resources, department heads as well as the assistants to department heads. While the order placer can be virtually anyone within an organization needing an additional hand, we are finding the industries are varied as well. It can be the traditional receptionist position to cover for vacation or maternity leave or it can be a programmer with very specific experience that is needed for just a few days or hours to automate a process saving the company thousands of dollars.

Manufacturing is one area that has a high usage of contingent staff. We have clients where our Snelling field employees represent 70-90 percent of the workforce in the manufactuing facility. The use of a contingent staff allows them to flex with the demand of the season or sales environment."

WHAT are employers looking for temporary staff employees?

"Reliability, flexibility and applicable experience to complete the work that they need to have done in a timely and cost-effective manner are the key things that most employers are seeking in a temporary staff member."

WHEN is a good time to hire temporary staff members?

"This usually falls into one of two categories. Either the client is looking for consistent performance that can free up or supplement their permanent staff, or they are looking to hire a skill set that doesn't exist within their current staff, and in many situations does not make sense to employ on a full-time basis.

As we continue in the employee driven market of today, we will find more and more companies relying on temporary staff because it is the only way for them to secure the skill sets that they need. For example, many nurses are choosing to work contract (or temporary), finding that they can negotiate a higher hourly pay rate and commit to specific hours that meet their work/life balance needs."

WHERE to look for temporary jobs?

"A professional staffing agency is the best place to find temporary positions."

WHY does it make sense to hire temporary staff?

"Often a company needs a specific skill set for a very limited time or needs additional people resources to cover an unexpected work load increase. By hiring a temporary employee, the company can secure the appropriate skill set to be used just for the duration of the need.

Employees like to utilize all the skills that they can offer in the workplace and be paid accordingly - temporary employment allows this for client companies and temporaries alike."

Nip/Tuck: Baby Boomers

If Christian or Sean (the two head plastic surgeons on FX's show, Nip/Tuck) were to say, "Tell me what you don't like about yourself," to one of today's baby boomers,  they might simply respond, "the way I look."

More than half of workers polled in 2006 said having cosmetic surgery or cosmetic dental work would help advance their careers. Fifty-three percent said plastic surgery would help their career, thirty-one percent said it wouldn't and 14 percent were unsure of the impact.

So, are baby boomers actually having said cosmetic surgery to get them ahead? You bet they are.

Baby boomers had the majority  (68 percent) of procedures in 2006, according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS).

With younger job seekers determind to climb up the corporate ladder, baby boomers feel they have added pressure to keep up with today's fast-paced society. Baby boomers are also working longer and want their looks to reflect how young they feel, experts say.

The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that more than $344 million is being spent on anti-aging creams and lotions. With the uncertainty of the actual results of these products, boomers are opting for a solution they know will work - and have immediate results.

There's nothing wrong with a little nip tuck - if boomers can enhance their appearance, feel confident and get to work advancing their careers, more power to them!

For more resources on baby boomers in the workforce, check out these articles:

25 Best Jobs for Baby Boomers

Mission Possible: Keeping Boomers in the Workforce

Entreprenuership for Boomers

Interview Tips for Boomers

Take a vacation this 4th of July

Wednesday is the Fourth of July... which, in corporate America, usually doesn't mean much more than a day or two off.

For some workers though, this national holiday doesn't even mean that. Even though they might be granted a day out of the office, majority of workers will still be working at home, according to CareerBuilder.com's annual vacation survey. Twenty percent of workers say they plan to stay in touch with the office during their vacation this year, the survey says. Nine percent of workers say their employers expect them to check voicemail or e-mail on vacation, but others may feel the pressure to do so anyway.

If you're taking a few days off this Independence Day for some quality R&R, follow these four tips from Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com.

1. Leave a roadmap.
Before you leave, record important information, key contacts and any deadlines that will come up while you are gone. Leave co-workers with a guide that will help them address questions that arise and keep things moving forward, they will be less likely to contact you while you're out and you will be less likely to walk into a war zone when you return.

2. Stick to an itinerary.
It's best to leave work at the office, but if you must do work, set limits and boundaries for yourself and your co-workers. Don't let activities on vacation be interrupted by work. Set aside 30 minutes each day to think about work and stick to it. Don't have co-workers call you - tell them when you are going to check in, so you can control the time allotted.

3. Think big.
If you have a big project and a great vacation planned for the same week, expect one of the two to give. Schedule the dates before and after the big stuff to lighten your load and enjoy your time off.

4. What if you're the boss?
If you're working for yourself, anticipate your busy seasons by reviewing your previous sales and current situation. Save vacation time for slower periods and make sure to notify customers in advance.

Click here for the full article on working and vacationing.

Bilingual? You're Valuable

CareerBuilder.com

Spanish has become the country's unofficial second language, and corporate America has responded with diversity initiatives that seek to recruit, understand and attract a Hispanic/Latino workforce, writes Graciela Kenig in her book Best Careers for Bilingual Latinos.

With more than 40 million Hispanics in the US today and an estimated annual growth rate of 4.65, the Latino community will add 1.7 million people to its population every year. This trend is creating a tremendous demand for bilingual job seekers fluent in Spanish and English.

According to Kenig and other experts, the top industries for bilingual candidates include healthcare, financial services, sales and marketing, social services and public service. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, reports that there are a number of emerging occupations in social services such as cross-cultural counselors, bilingual teachers and consumer credit counselors.

"Being fluent in Spanish is a big plus in social services," says Evie Engler, vice president for Metropolitan Family Services in Chicago, Ill. "In many of the communities we serve, our licensed clinical social workers, case workers and counselors must be bilingual to serve families in need of our counseling, mental health and financial management services."

Banks and mortgage companies seek tellers and loan officers who can converse with their Latino clients. Insurance companies need claims adjustors and administrative staff to assist in processing claims for their diverse client base. One major insurance company that pays referral fees to employees for candidates who are hired offered an additional $500 incentive if the new hire was bilingual.

Hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are experiencing some of the greatest demand for bilingual employees to better serve patients. "Being able to speak and understand our patients? native language ensures proper treatment. Patients must be able to understand medical instructions and prescription dosages and physicians need to understand symptoms and circumstances related to a patient?s condition," noted Kathy, a nurse at a suburban hospital in Chicago.

To sell goods and services to a multicultural market, corporations must hire people who understand the language and culture of their clients and their vendors. Karen, an inside sales manager in Columbia, Md., needed call center associates to process orders for paint testing equipment from business clients in Latin America. "Finding candidates who were fluent in Spanish and also had strong sales ability were two key criteria in reviewing resumes and deciding who I would interview."

In nearly every field and profession, from financial services to sales, there is a growing need to multi-lingual candidates. In addition to Spanish, companies that have offices and clients throughout the world seek employees who can speak languages from Russian to German, French and Mandarin. "Job seekers who speak Japanese, Chinese and Mandarin are becoming a hot commodity among employers, particularly on the West Coast," says one recruiter from California.

Not only are bilingual skills helpful for seasoned professionals in the job market, graduates who are fluent in a second language are finding that they have an extra edge during job interviews. While bilingual skills aren't always required to land good jobs, many companies prefer to hire candidates with this added dimension.

If you are truly bilingual, that is you can speak two or more languages with equal or near equal fluency and are able to speak and perhaps also read and write more than one language very well, tell employers up-front that you have this ability. Even if your prospective employer may not have an immediate need for your multiple language capabilities, they are likely to see your fluency as an added benefit and asset in the hiring process.

Consider including this information in your cover letter and in your resume?s career or skills summary. Refer to your skills as "bilingual," or "multilingual" if you speak three or more languages. Then, list each language, including English. Be honest though. If you just had a couple of semesters of a language in high school or college, use the phrase "knowledge of..." Never overstate or understate your expertise.

Retail Jobs Are in Season

CareerBuilder.com

In just a few weeks, the walkways of the nation's malls and shopping centers will be packed with anxious holiday shoppers out to find the perfect gifts. This phenomenon means one thing for job seekers across the country: increased retail opportunities.

Retail hiring managers coast to coast are gearing up for the shopping season, and are anticipating increases in hiring across the board. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), retailers increased their staffing by 3.2 percent during the holidays in 2002, which equated to an additional 750,000 holiday jobs. Hiring managers are already reporting big plans for holiday opportunities in 2003. CareerBuilder.com's "Hiring Trends 2003" survey found that 78 percent of retail hiring managers plan to hire new employees by the end of the year, with 85 percent hoping to fill open positions in one month or less.

These seasonal retail job openings are often ideal for college students who need extra funds and will have time off during the holidays, or anyone else with immediate employment needs.

So with all of the retail opportunities out there, it's a walk in the park to nail down a position, right?

Wrong. Retailers are looking for employees who are motivated, enthusiastic, and have a good customer service attitude – not just bodies to stand behind a counter. Pursuing a retail position – even if it is a temporary holiday position – should be done with the same professionalism and dedication as any other job search. Keep in mind these tips when shopping around for a seasonal gig:

1. The squeaky wheel gets the oil.
Just like with any other job opening, persistence pays off, as does face time with the hiring manager. Don't simply fill out an application and drop it off at the front counter. Ask to speak to the manager first. Introduce yourself, let him or her know why you are interested in a position, and make sure your name is known. After your interview, be sure to send a thank you letter and follow up. Retail managers are extremely busy at any time of the year, but their time cards get even more packed during the holidays. Sometimes, a follow-up phone call can make all the difference.

2. Dress for success.
In any business, first impressions go a long way. Your image is important to retailers, particularly when you are trying to set yourself apart from the pack of others who are looking for similar holiday work. Dressing professionally, even if you are just going into the store to fill out an application, will make you stand out from the crowd. Never fill out an application or submit your resume dressed in casual attire, or worse yet, in ripped jeans and an old sweatshirt – this sends the hiring manager the impression that you do not take the opportunity seriously.

3. Act like a pro.
When you are looking for any job, it pays to be professional. This is just as true in retail. Carefully fill out your application to make sure you do not have spelling or grammatical errors. Show up early for your interview and be prepared. Alert your references to the applications you are submitting. These simple steps will demonstrate to a prospective employer that you have respect for the company and will have respect for its customers, too.

4. Take the job seriously.
If you are hired for a holiday retail position, be sure to give it your all and take it as seriously as you would any other opportunity. There are experiences to be gained from the retail environment that are extremely valuable to companies in a wide variety of industries. Qualities like customer service, effective time and stress management, teamwork and conflict resolution are all used extensively in the retail environment, and are qualities that recruiters in a wide range of businesses look for in candidates. Make the most of your retail experience and develop these qualities. They will almost certainly pay off in the future.

By following these tips, looking for opportunities early and presenting a professional image at all times, the holidays this year just might turn out to be a money maker for you, rather than a bank breaker.

Return of the Signing Bonus? Five Tips for Getting One

Rarely seen since the dot-com boom, signing bonuses are making a comeback -- sort of.

From the late 1990s until 2001, the national unemployment rate hovered around 4 percent. With business booming, employers pulled out all the stops, making sky-high salaries, stock options and signing bonuses fundamentals of offer letters.

"Back in the late '90s, companies felt they needed to move (on hiring a candidate) right away," said Dave Sanford, executive vice president of client services for Massachusetts-based contingency placement firm Winter, Wyman and Companies.

But when the country plunged into recession in 2001 and tightened the job market, fewer companies offered signing bonuses to new employees.

Now that the economy is improving, Sanford says he is seeing this incentive start to trickle back into compensation packages. But although hiring bonuses are up across most industries, they’re still the exception.

Sanford estimates that around 5 to 10 percent of his clients are offering sign-on bonuses, up from about 2 to 3 percent a few years ago.

"We were in such a deep recession in 2001 and 2002 that companies have been very conservative about throwing money around," he says. "Even now that the market’s getting better, they don’t want to be reckless. Everybody’s still watching their bottom line."

The decision to offer a sign-on bonus often boils down to supply and demand. Working in a hot industry or in-demand position can boost a candidate’s likelihood of getting a bonus upfront.

For example, the 2006 Culpepper Trends Survey on Hiring Bonuses indicated that half of all technology and life sciences companies use signing bonuses to attract candidates, with payouts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000.

Other times, hiring bonuses are offered when a candidate would have to leave something behind to join a new employer, says John Touey, a principal with Philadelphia-based retained executive search firm Salveson Stetson Group.

"(An example would be) if they are leaving mid-year or later in the year and feel they have earned a significant amount of the annual cash bonus, or they have options coming due in the near future that they will forfeit," he says. "...In other cases I have seen signing bonuses as a one-time consideration when the hiring company cannot match the annual base salary of a candidate."

To improve your chances of landing a signing bonus, heed the following tips:

1. Know what to expect.
Research the company and your industry to see whether your position or company frequently awards hiring bonuses. The Internet, industry contacts and current workers at your future employer are valuable sources of information.

2. Delay the money talk until after you get an offer. Wait until you have a written job offer before negotiating a sign-on bonus. Asking too early could make you appear difficult or greedy.

3. Be upfront. Employers are more likely to offer a sign-on bonus if accepting the offer would cause a candidate financial hardship. If you would have to forgo your year-end bonus or triple your commuting costs, say so.

4. Make sure you understand the terms.
Employers are increasingly tying a longevity clause to hiring bonuses. Find out if you will need to pay back part or all of the signing bonus if you leave before a specified period of time.

5. Remember that a signing bonus is a one-time deal.
If a company is offering a salary that seems too low, a signing bonus will only make up the difference for one year. Negotiating a more reasonable salary will have a long-term impact.

By: Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com writer
Laura Morsch is a writer for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.

Lay-offs for Labor Day

With the holiday weekend ahead, you may already be tuning out of work this week with visions of barbeques and get-togethers dancing in your head.  But if you want to keep your job, you may want to snap out of it.

The holiday set aside to give hard-working American employees a day of rest, could leave you canned according to a recent report.  In an annual study by the international outplacement consulting firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc., the most layoffs continue to occur between September 1^st and New Year’s Eve.

The firm reported to ABC News that this trend has been consistent for the last six out of 10 years, and cited economic developments – including interest rate increases and high energy prices – as reasoning behind the company cuts.

With the recent onslaught of big business names cutting back to save business costs and smaller companies likely to follow suit, the future may look bleak, but you can still make a few moves to save your job.

Tory Johnson, CEO of Women for Hire, advises tuning into your workplace and looks for clues such as hiring freezes, sudden resignations, cutbacks and management changes.  Here are a few more steps you can take to secure your employment:

Make yourself visible

If your company’s recent activities pair up with Tory Johnson’s signals for downsizing, you may be tempted to pull a vanishing act (or curl up in a ball and cry), but now is not the time to do that, or to leave early or soak up all your sick days.  Management will be evaluating your performance, and you’ll want to show everything you have to offer.

Take a rain check for your vacation

Again, with the visibility issue.  You may have stockpiled your vacation time to jet-set to Maui (or work from the beach), but using your time-off when the company is in critical condition will make you look like a less valuable employee, even if you haven’t missed a day all year.

Show ‘em what you’ve got

I know you’re probably thinking, “I give everything I’ve got to this job all of the time,” and I also know that you’re probably right, but with your job possibly in jeopardy, these next four months should be your shining glory.  It would be nice to think that your accomplishments will stand out as your company stands at the chopping block, but if you’re at a particularly large organization, you shouldn’t assume it will do so on it’s own.  If you’ve got ideas on what could help the company budget or you are an expert problem-solver, now is the time to lend your skills to securing yourself as an indispensable staff member.

Return to the basics

Remember what you were doing before this job? The interviewing process maps out a lot of guidelines about how to dress and behave to impress potential employers, and that’s exactly what you’ll need to do now, only you have the job.  Dress up a little nicer, soak up a little more industry information, and try to keep your job complaints to yourself (at least at work).  Even if the company doesn’t keep you on-staff, you’ll be better prepared for future interviews.