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Hire Me: Your Employment Prospects for 2010

noreply@MyPath.com — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:20:36 GMT

The latest Manpower survey for 4th quarter hiring prospects (Oct 1- Dec 31) is out!

Here's the scoop:

We continue to see a moderate hiring increase compared to a year ago.

15% of employers surveyed across the nation anticipate an increase in hiring activity.
Only 11% forecast a decrease.
71% don't intend to make any changes at all.
The remaining 3% are undecided.

11 out of 13 industries surveyed have a positive outlook for this quarter.

This includes Mining, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Professional & Business Services and Education & Health Services.

All U.S. regions see a positive net employment outlook.

Most upbeat hiring intentions: Northeast and South.
Most reserved hiring intentions: West.

However...
Employers in the government and construction sectors anticipate decreased hiring; local and state governments are struggling financially.

Watch the video clip and download the full Manpower Employment Outlook Survey (US, Q4 2010) report here.

Get the Manpower Canadian Employment Outlook: Video with Byrne Luft, vice-president, Manpower Canada here.

Want the scoop on your specific city, market, or national/global region? Select reports here.

Green Education for a Green Career Path

noreply@MyPath.com — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:59:16 GMT

I feel that it takes passion and a plan to green my career path. I believe that education will provide me with a strong knowledge base that will enable me to become an expert in my field. I have mentioned before that I am currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Management, a relatively new area of study, offered by the University of Wisconsin Parkside (and 4 other UW institutions). It is an online program, therefore it offers me the flexibility I need to remain a viable entrepreneur.

I am currently studying Ecology for Sustainable Management, and Natural Resource Management, and I just recently completed Environmental Science for Sustainable Management. These classes go in to great detail of how ecosystems work together with social ecological systems. They also provide the mechanisms for building sustainability into these systems.

Most of my time and energy as of late goes towards my studies, but I am not simply turning in homework to receive a grade, I am acting as if Sustainable Management is my career already, and my assignments are previews of possible real life scenarios that I may face in the future. As a direct result of my studies, I feel confident that the knowledge gained combined with life and work experience will no doubt make my career path successful.

Your recommendations = My action plan

noreply@MyPath.com — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 13:20:17 GMT

In my last blog I asked for your suggestions on how to generate interests from the community and still be able to earn a living with my green business.

Here’s a summary of the suggestions I received and how I plan to put your ideas to action.

Vanessa’s advice was to provide a way for existing and potential customers to view statistics on my website that would allow them to get real time feedback on cost savings and carbon footprint reduction. My action plan is to design a page that will calculate statistics based on user input. This also generated an idea of adding a guest book for customer testimonials.

TJ provided insight regarding local events that would provide additional networking opportunities. As TJ mentioned my networking groups do not necessarily have to be eco-focused which has been the case thus far. My action plan is to interact with a more diverse range of groups. The people in the community who are less aware of environmental alternatives are the people I want to reach!

Angie recommended that I work with the local community colleges to organize a workshop. I believe we are in the midst of an “environmental awakening” and I feel that exchanging ideas with my peers would prove to be a great opportunity for receiving feedback. She also suggested that I continue to volunteer at local nature centers, and with TJ’s tip in mind, I think I will expand that to additional forms of volunteering in the community!

Lesley’s suggestion was to work in conjunction with the local farmers market. This could definitely attract potential clients for my business. My plan of action is to visit the local farmers markets and make contact with the people who organize these functions. I think being able to leave just a few business cards would generate some business traffic or at least some interest!

I appreciate all of your time, consideration and great suggestions.

Keep the comments coming and I will continue to keep you posted on my green business journey!

My Green Career Journey: Helping Others Go Green

noreply@MyPath.com — Fri, 28 May 2010 19:55:33 GMT

The main focus of my company is to help others go green by teaching about how to live more sustainably in their own homes. I can help a client save up to thousands of dollars a year with small changes made in their habits, but how do I go about marketing my service?

My cost is around one hundred dollars, and my visit will pay for itself with the cost savings the homeowner will receive. One way I thought to market myself is to network by hosting green workshops, and doing volunteer work for organizations with similar interest. I am also obtaining more education in being a green entrepreneur. Last week I really tried to reach out; below is a description of my activities.

I held four green workshops, meaning I invited people I knew and gave presentations on waste reduction & composting. This was an effort to teach people how to reduce their waste, how to compost and generate sales on products I carry, especially the indoor composter.

I spent one day volunteering at a local store that sells all natural, non-toxic earth friendly cleaning products. I also attended a training session for the Sierra club to take part in a river monitoring program. I volunteer for these activities as a way to be more involved with the community, and to network with people with similar interests.

I attended my green entrepreneur business planning class that is held by the Small Business Development Center in Racine. We were showcased by them at the Racine County Economic Development Center’s annual meeting. While there I had my sampling of my products and my brochure displayed, and was able to converse with people from the county about my business.

Volunteering and working with the community is always something I have wanted to do, now that I have my own green business I am happy to participate, but what else can I do, how do I get more interest and involvement from the community? I want to help others, and I also want to make a living.

Acute skills shortage looms as New Zealand ICT jobs come back on the boil

noreply@MyPath.com — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 20:51:51 GMT

While demand for long-term ICT contractor roles remains subdued, an increase in short-term assignments and growing demand for business analysts suggest the ICT employment market in New Zealand is picking up, according to Manpower Professional.

Matt Love-Smith, Business Manager of Manpower Professional in Christchurch, said that during the downturn, the number of roles for ICT contractors and project managers dropped off, as companies put IT projects on hold. While the momentum is yet to be regained, Matt Love-Smith says there are positive signs. “We are seeing more demand for business analysts, who focus on research and requirements gathering at the initial stages of a project. This tells us that the next step should be an uptick in the number of projects actually kicking off, so we can expect more demand in coming months,” he said. Despite demand for some roles declining , Matt Love-Smith says that overall the ICT sector has been relatively resilient. “This time last year, Manpower research showed that 70% of ICT employers didn’t believe the downturn would affect their hiring plans, and that appears to have been quite accurate, at least for the software developers. We’ve actually seen continued demand from the smaller players in the sector, who export their technology and aren’t as reliant on local market conditions,” Matt Love-Smith said.

Manpower Professional says the most in-demand roles at the moment are for C#.NET developers, SQL developers and business analysts. However, the broader ICT industry is still facing a skills shortage, according to Chris Riley, General Manager of Manpower New Zealand. “New Zealand is a proven early adopter of new technology products, services, methods and systems. Our competitive strength lies in creative technical innovations and the ability to rapidly adapt within a low cost structure. One of our weaknesses, however, lies in a shortage of people, as the brain drain attracts skilled professionals off-shore and it takes time and investment to develop new talent. Manpower data reveals that even in the midst of the recession, 60% of IT employers were finding it difficult to source ICT employees, and ICT Professionals sit at the top of the NZ Skills in Demand List. “Now that the economic signs appears to be more positive, the skills shortage is likely to become more acute. Employers need to focus on having a compelling proposition to attract employees and a positive culture and leadership team to retain them. And finally, they need to continually invest in nurturing new talent, to create a pipeline for the future,” Chris Riley said. For job seekers considering upskilling or changing careers, Mr Love-Smith says the tech sector is an attractive option. “The ICT sector sits at the heart of the knowledge economy, so school leavers or job seekers looking for a future-proof career would do well to consider a technology-focused education,” he said.

For more information on the ICT market in New Zealand e-mail Matt Love-Smith at m.lovesmith@manpowerprofessional.co.nz

Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Shows Positive Signs

noreply@MyPath.com — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:34:17 GMT

The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, Manpower's respected quarterly forward-looking survey on employer hiring intentions in 36 countries, is out today.

The signs are pretty positive, tempered by the sluggish demand and uncertainty that is still making the world's employers hesitant about laying on:

Key points:

Hiring optimism improving. In 30 of 36 countries, stronger hiring plans than 12 months ago.
Quarter-over-quarter, employers in 23 of 36 countries and territories surveyed indicate stronger hiring plans.
Employers in only four countries report negative hiring expectations. 31 of 36 expect positive hiring activity.
US: Hiring outlook fairly stable from last quarter as there is still a lot of uncertainty over how robust demand is.
Europe: Promising signs despite recent events. 13 of 18 countries forecast year-over-year improvements.
Asia-Pac buoyant. Improved y-o-y forecasts in all countries surveyed. China, Taiwan most robust since survey began there in 2005
India, Brazil, Taiwan and China strongest hiring outlook. Ireland, Italy and (not surprisingly) Spain and Greece weakest.

You can find the full survey results here.

Find results in your state or city here (choose Select a Market).

How can you be green in your company?

noreply@MyPath.com — Fri, 28 May 2010 14:29:29 GMT

Are you "going green" in your life and don't want to stop when you reach the office?

Even if your company doesn't have a sustainability program, or focus on corporate social responsibility efforts, a recent Green Economy Post article by Giselle Weybrecht says you can make a big difference by taking the lead and getting involved in sustainability at work.

Here are a few questions to ask and tips to get started:

1. Does your company already promote recycling, carpooling and other programs you can participate in? If not, why not start your own initiative? This is also a great opportunity to connect with others in your company who have similar interests.

2. Does your company have a sustainability strategy? If one is already in place, see what you can take from it to relate to your own work. Otherwise, just as with the first point, take this opportunity to get together with others who are interested in sustainability and draft a great strategy to follow.

3. How about your own job? Can you go paperless? Bring your own cup, plate and silverware for lunch? Some of these things might sound simple, but looking around for ways to green up your daily job will uncover a lot of possibilities, from turning off your computer when you leave to using recycled materials, and even to reconsidering your commute.

4. Support others in their activities: Volunteer your time and expertise to help them with their initiatives. Form a community, even if it's just an email list, to pool your resources and know-how to help each other.

5. Share your experience. Going green isn't just one day's work. Whether you join an online group, start a blog or arrange to be a guest speaker, sharing the rewards - and the challenges - of your efforts with workplace sustainability will not only help others but will bring great ideas back to you.

Above all, stay positive, but stay informed: Some ideas might not work in your company, so it'll be up to you and other interested colleagues to find a solution or find something better. Look at other businesses and organizations that are already involved in sustainability for resources and information you can use for your own company.

Want to learn more about corporate social responsibility? JustMeans.com drives social and environmental innovation through an interactive community of resources, blogs and advice. You can also read about Manpower's efforts on our JustMeans page.

Temporary Jobs Bring a More Positive Outlook

noreply@MyPath.com — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:31:59 GMT

If you've been paying attention to the latest figures, you'll know that unemployment remains around 9.7% and 15 million people are unemployed, but 162,000 jobs have been added. In addition, health care and temporary help have added jobs, and manufacturing is trending up while construction is holding steady.

Still, per Melanie Holmes, VP of World of Work Solutions at Manpower North America, "the media has tended to discount the job growth because many of those new jobs were temporary — 48,000 census workers and 40,000 added to temporary payrolls."

Even if you're on a temporary assignment, you're still earning money, still gaining valuable experience, and you're already in place if the company decides they need a permanent employee in your position who will fit into their culture with little to no extra training.

In short, no matter what direction your temporary assignment goes, it’s a lot more positive than you - and the media - may think!

The full post is here on manpowerblogs.com.

Manpower Inc. 2010 Talent Shortage Survey

noreply@MyPath.com — Thu, 20 May 2010 18:21:26 GMT

Manpower's fifth annual Talent Shortage was launched publicly today. The survey (Which gathers data from over 35,000 employers in 36 countries) reveals that 31 percent of employers across the globe continue to struggle to fill positions available despite the continuing challenging global economic environment. This marks a one percentage point rise from 2009.

Interestingly, the four hardest jobs to fill around the world have remained the same for the fourth year in succession. They are: Skilled Trades, Sales Representatives, Technicians and Engineers.

There are wide global disparities - with over three quarters (76 percent) of Japanese employers struggling to source suitable talent. However, in the Republic of Ireland, just four percent of employers report similar problems.

In the light of these ongoing shortages, employers need to broaden their search for candidates to incorporate industry migrants, location migrants, role changers and workforce entrants. Employers should consider people who perhaps don't meet the exact requirements for a role, but who can fill in gaps in their capabilities in a timely and cost-effective way.

You can find the full survey results here:

http://www.manpower.com/research/research.cfm

My Green Career Journey

noreply@MyPath.com — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:28:17 GMT

I’m hoping to get advice and share resources with others who might be heading down a similar green career.

In the fall of 2008, I found myself with a perfect opportunity to start on a new, green career path. I’m passionate about living a green lifestyle and the positive impacts it has on the environment, and I want to teach others how they can do it too.

My first step was to partner with a company called Green Irene LLC, and train as an independent distributor of their services and products. Now, I work with clients to customize their homes and businesses to the green lifestyle. Not only do I show them how they can make changes that conserve water and energy and make their environment healthier – I show them how it saves them money as well.

In the fall of 2009, I decided I needed more education to truly make an impact. My first step was to obtain an LEED Green Associate credential through the United States Green Business Council (USGBC). Next, I discovered that University of Wisconsin Parkside was launching a new degree program in Sustainable Management–exactly what I was looking for.

Obtaining credentials in my new field is very important to me; I feel in order to be understood I must first understand.

I plan on using my education, and experiences to enhance my standing as a knowledgeable Eco-consultant and to direct my career path to one of greener territory. Are you going through a similar journey? What is your plan to get new customers? What kind of marketing challenges do you face?

It's Easy Being Green!

noreply@MyPath.com — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 19:17:46 GMT

It's refreshing to know that I work for a company who embraces "green living." But, a company can only go so far without employee participation.

It's easy to grab a disposable cup for your afternoon ice water, but it's just as easy to use your own cup!

What steps do you take at work to support the company's goal and cut down on waste?