More seniors want work; more employers want seniors Al Benezra, 81, barely knew a washing machine from a dishwasher a year ago, but today he’s one of the top appliance sales specialists at Home Depot in San Leandro, Calif. When a customer came by earlier this week to discuss her kitchen remodel, he spent a
[continue reading...]

Wireless workers upbeat about job The signals are clear: It’s a good time to be a worker in the wireless-communications field. That’s the conclusion of a report released Monday showing that more than 74 percent of 619 wireless-industry professionals rated the current job market as “strong” or “growing.” TelecomCareers.net, the job site that conducted the
[continue reading...]

Is going gray an asset in the workplace? Gray hair may seem like a good career move to some, especially men, but not for Aliza Sherman Risdahl, 40, who has felt unspoken pressure for years to color her prematurely gray hair. ”No one takes women more seriously because we have gray hairs on our head,”
[continue reading...]

Nearly Half of Executives Plan to Work Past Age 64 Nearly half (44 percent) of almost 2,000 global executives surveyed plan to continue working past the age of 64, with 15 percent planning to work past 70, according to the latest Executive Quiz from Korn/Ferry International (NYSE: KFY), the premier provider of executive search, outsourced
[continue reading...]

Hiring the overqualified creates problems Unless the position has changed, the work can lead to boredom, a poor performance. Here’s a new twist on “Overqualified.” Jan, a hiring manager, has an opportunity to hire a person with a master’s in business administration. He’s getting resistance from human resources because the job description says the position
[continue reading...]

Be careful with whom you network. Make sure you know at which companies your new networking contacts are employed before you spill the beans, in case their companies are subsidiaries, partners, clients, etc. of your current employer. One or more of your new contacts might even work for your current employer in a different department
[continue reading...]

Shut out by recovery Until November 2003, Steve Bruns made $75,000 a year at Wilsonville-based Mentor Graphics, helping customers navigate sophisticated software used to design semiconductors. These days, he’s pushing a vacuum at Southwest Christian School in Beaverton, grateful for the $15 an hour he’s paid for custodial work and managing a rudimentary computer lab.
[continue reading...]

Keys Worth Tapping for Better Resumes & Cover Letters Resume writing is probably less a science than an art. A resume is ultimately a positive, visual presentation of your unique blend of talents, skills, experience and perspectives. Although creating one is not easy, a good resume – even in this age of the Internet –
[continue reading...]

What Recruiters Hate About Resumes And Cover Letters I’m going to share with you the awful truth about resumes and cover letters: Most of them stink. That’s not just my opinion, although I have read nearly 15,000 resumes and cover letters over the years and found glaring mistakes in about 85 to 90 percent of
[continue reading...]

Tips for the CEO Candidate You’ve been laying the groundwork for yearsacquiring a broad array of skills and proving your executive mettle at multiple levels in your company. You’ve got your eye on a top job, and you know that’s where you belong. But you’re also fully aware that competition for the C suite is
[continue reading...]

Job hunting expenses may be tax deductible Deductions for tax preparation services, financial advice, professional journals and a host of other items are known in the tax code as miscellaneous itemized deductions. They are only partially deductible from your gross income. You may write off only that portion of these costs that exceeds 2 percent
[continue reading...]

Managers Recruit Mature Workers Older employees desired for better performance and low turnover rates. In a push to recruit older workers, The Home Depot now offers “snowbird specials” — winter work in Florida and summers in Maine. Borders bookstores lure retired teachers to sales jobs with discounts and the promise of reading and discussion groups.
[continue reading...]

Weeding Out Interview Pretenders According to a survey of hiring managers by Development Dimensions International, 44 percent reported that they were surprised that workers were different on the job than in an interview. Duh! This intrepid blogger decided to dig deeper; to explore this disparity from both the point of the view of the hiring
[continue reading...]

Spring Signals Time to Freshen Up Career Skills The first days of spring signal the time to take action on job seeking and career innovation according to CareerWomen.com. From updating resumes to un-cluttering your professional life, spring is the time to set goals and take a fresh approach to setting career goals. JillXan Donnelly, president
[continue reading...]

One word: Accounting The economy may not be so hot, but there is good work out there — for those with the right skills. Job seekers hoping 2005 would bring better news than 2004 haven’t had much to celebrate so far. Yes, the unemployment rate is down to 5.2 percent, the lowest in more than
[continue reading...]