Become an expert in your potential job field

You just lose your job and you read that now is the time to change careers. The new job will energize you and motivate you. And that is true especially if you feel that you are in rut and the job that you were laid off from was burning you out and boring you then it might be a great time for a career change. On the other hand, many folks lose jobs that they loved. Whether it was the interaction with others or the specialty of the work, they never wanted to do anything else. If that is the case then you need to focus on that particular career field in your job search. While you are looking you should also brush up on the field and make sure that you know everything about from top to bottom.




I am already an expert

You may think that you know everything about a job after all you worked in that field for many years but that isn’t always the case. Even though you were considered more than efficient at your past job there is always lots of things to learn. Technology is changing all the time but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your old company kept up with the technology. Now is definitely the time to research trade magazine and the internet to find out all you can about how others in your field do things. Networking can also be valuable in this endeavor.



Why should I become an expert?

During an interview you will come across as very knowledgeable and someone that can add value to a potential employer. Another reason is if you get the job you will fit in to your new company more easily.



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Bus drivers and transit jobs

No matter how many cars are manufactured and no matter how many are on the road there will still be a need for public transportation, especially buses. Buses will also need drivers and that need should become greater as more folks depend on public transportation due to the rising cost of gas and the inconvenience of being stuck in traffic. There are several types of bus drivers needed, such as school bus drivers, long distance bus transportation and local bus transportation especially in the larger metro areas.




What do you need to become a bus driver?

Bus drivers’ qualification are set by Federal and State agencies. A commercial Drivers license is mandatory in order to drive a bus. Training can last up to 2 months which includes classroom and behind the wheel training. A bus driver candidate is supposed to know all the rules and regulations of Federal and state laws regarding their occupation.



What skills should a bus driver possess?

First and foremost a bus driver must be good at communication and customer service since they will be dealing with a large number of people. They should also be careful and very cautious of not only driving a large vehicle but also of people that enter the bus and exit the bus.



Job Outlook

According the BLS (Bureau of labor statistics) the job outlook is good for bus driving, about 7 percent. Bus drivers, especially school bus drivers, receive pretty good benefits. The average salary is around 16.32 an hours.



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Bummed out by the unemployment numbers?

Being unemployed at any time no matter whether the economic picture is good or bad, is difficult. But what makes it particularly bad this time is that the news on TV, radio and internet is always about how bad things are and that is understandable because things are bad. Folks are having a harder time looking for jobs now then they have in many years and there are definitely more unemployed than any other time except for the great depression. If you read or see the news on a daily basis your positive attitude on looking for work will be tested. So what do you do if you are bummed out by the employment numbers?




You could quit looking at the news on the TV and the internet but you know that isn’t going to happen because you have to keep up with what is going on, good or bad. The best thing that you can do is realize that the economy is what it is and you just have to keep things in perspective. Remember that even if the unemployment is at 9.6 percent that means that there still are quite a few people who are still employed and you could be one of those soon. Stay busy with your job hunting but don’t let it consume you. Treat looking for a job as a job (the pay out will be later when you finally find employment). Keep the faith in yourself and your abilities and eventually you will find that job.



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Top ten industries with the largest employment

Here is the list of the top ten industries with the largest employment. I was surprised at some of the rankings and how many employees they had. I always thought that retail would be at the top of the list but it was actually number 11! Educational services wasn’t really a surprise if you consider all the schools in the country, public or private. That is a lot of teachers and support positions that have to be filled. Number eight was a surprise according the government website there are 1.8 million people working in this field.

 

 

 

Here is the list

 

1. Educational services, public and private - Teachers, school administration and school support are among the positions in education 
2. Hospitals, public and private – health care has been and will be an areas where there will considerable employment 
3. Full service restaurants – Sit down restaurants as opposed to fast food restaurants 
4. Limited services eating places – fast food restaurants 
5. Employment services – Companies that help you find a job or help employers find workers 
6. Grocery stores 
7. Offices of physicians – Doctor’s offices require staff to help with the patients and the paperwork 
8. Management of companies and enterprises – Offices of bank holding companies 
9. Deposition credit intermediation – Commercial bank, credit unions and saving institutions 
10. Nursing care facilities – provides inpatient nursing and rehabilitative services

 

 

 

The following information can be found at http://www.careerinfonet.org/indview3.asp?id=8,1&nodeid=47

 

 

 

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Panic and your job search

Has it been awhile since you lost your job and started to look for a new one? You are not alone according to the Department of labor 41 % of the unemployed have been without work for over 27 weeks. That is 6.2 million out of about 14 million unemployed and that doesn’t even count the number of folks that have just stopped looking. If you had a positive attitude when you started your job search I am sure that feeling has been tested quite a few times. In fact you might be in panic mode right now, wondering when and if this economy is going to get better and companies will start to hire again. No one can really blame you for how you feel but you have to keep trying.

 

Things to remember…

 

• Stay the course on your job hunt no matter how difficult it gets you have to keep plugging away 
• Believe in yourself because if you don’t no one else will. 
• Control your stress, once again easier said than done but stress will slow you down or even stop you in your tracks. 
• Stay active while you are unemployed; take time away from job hunting to live your life. 
• Live a healthy lifestyle, eat right and exercise

  

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Questions that interviewers can’t ask

You are finally asked to interview with a company that you have been targeting as a potential employer. You practice your interview questions and think that you are ready for anything. But are you? Before you go into an interview make sure that you know what an interviewer can ask and what they can’t ask. You are probably familiar with some questions that are against the law, such as questions of religion, age and Race there are others that can’t be asked also. Unfortunately some interviewers try to rephrase the questions to get the information that they want.

 

 

 Some interview questions that can't be asked...

• Religion – This is pretty well known as something that shouldn’t be discussed during an interview.  
• Age – Age discrimination is becoming quite a problem due to the population getting older. 
• Disability  
• National Origin – it shouldn’t matter where you come from in order to do a job 
• Birthplace – this goes along with the national origin question 
• Sex – Sexual orientation can’t be asked either

 So what should you do if you are asked an illegal question during an interview? That can be a tough question about answering it or not answering it can prevent you from being hired.

One solution is to Contact the EEOC and file a complaint. The EEOC has a webpage on how to file a complaint.


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Finding employers to target

Have you been pinpointing the companies that you want to work for or have you been just sending out mass mailings hoping that someone will reply? While it is good not to put all your eggs in one basket, selecting certain employers to target is a good idea. Concentrating on some companies, who look to be more favorable in hiring you, rather than others can save time and be more productive.




What to do first?

The first thing to do in any job search is to do some thinking about what you really want to do in life this will guide you in the right direction concerning your job hunt. Nothing should be written in stone at this point but this is a good way to start.



Research which companies fit the description of the companies that you want to work for, you want to know how the company is doing and if they are hiring at this point. Most companies if not all have websites so that would be a good place to start.



Use your network resources to see if anyone knows anything or anybody at your targeted companies. If you do find someone at the company see if you get a informational interview with them.



Make sure your cover letter and resume are error free and that they don’t look like a form letter.



Just remember while you are targeting these particular companies you should still continue looking for more targeted companies.



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Networking with others who are unemployed

Job searching can be a lonely experience. Although there are times when you are with other folks at interviews, job fairs and support groups but for the most part your time is spent at home researching possible job leads and studying new career advice on the web. This lonely experience can turn quickly into a depressing experience if you limit the amount of time you spend with other folks, especially other folks who are like you, unemployed.

 

Where do you find people who are in a similar situation?

 

• If you attend church that would be a good place to start 
• Those job fairs that you attend are another great place to find other unemployed folks that would appreciate becoming friends  
• Job forums and there are plenty of them is a great place to connect with folks who are in a similar situation 
• Since this recession is so encompassing you probably already know somebody who is unemployed. 

Keep in contact on a regular basis

 

It is not just a matter of contacting your unemployed friends once in awhile make it a point to contact them on a regular basis and exchange ideas. You don’t want to call people or meet with them just to complain try to be constructive. Remain positive! If you have found out any interesting job leads or information that might be helpful let your unemployed friends know about it and in turn they will do the same for you. This will be a win-win situation for everybody.

 

 

 

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