Posts filed under 'Hiring'
May 19th, 2008
Here’s an interesting site that scours the Web for references about a single name. Pipl.com is helpful if you’d like to find out what tidbits about you (or anyone) are orbiting out in cyberspace. This can be useful when you’re searching for a job because more and more hiring managers are using Google and other search engines to see what they can find out about applicants. If you can find that 20-year-old collections lawsuit on the Web, they can too.
I ran my name and found the last six addresses I’ve had .. in the last seven years. Hmmm… Does that mean potential bosses will think I’m shifty and unstable?
April 4th, 2008
Times look tough for hiring in a number of industries, but there’s one profession expected to continue growing; one that everyone wants to see more of: Lawyers.
<insert canned laugh track here>
But seriously folks, a recent survey of 300 attorneys in the U.S. and Canada found that 45 percent of law firms and corporations plan to hire new attorneys in the next several months, according to lawyer staffing agency, Robert Half Legal.
Half of those surveyed said staff at their firm or legal department would stay the same during the next year and only 3 percent expected a drop. Of course, the legal world is somewhat insulated from downturns in the economy, but previous market catastrophes — the savings and loan scandal of the early ’90s and the dot-com debacle earlier this decade — have put attorneys out of work.
Still, the reasons for legal hiring confidence are clear in this survey. Most respondents think that there will be growth in bankruptcy law (25 percent), litigation (24 percent) and ethics and corporate governance practice (17 percent).
So I guess somebody benefits when the economy tanks as businesses go under, people sue each other and new government regulations are proposed.
January 31st, 2008
There’s been a lot of talk about the effect of baby boomers’ looming retirements on the work force. But there’s some evidence to indicate that many will remain beyond traditional retirement age because of the cost of health care and paltry savings.
Some companies are taking advantage of this phenomenon and touting their willingness to hire older employees. While tales of ageism abound, there are employers eager to garner the experience those workers bring with them.
Here’s a Web site full of companies dubbed the National Employer Team; they’ve partnered with the AARP to attract older employees.
January 16th, 2008
After Chrysler announced the layoffs of more than 1,000 workers at its Belvidere Assembly plant, several job and training agencies put together a job fair for Jan. 23. The fair is open to everyone, not just Chrysler employees.
So far 59 organizations have signed up, including manufacturers, health care providers, insurance companies, employment agencies and education and training groups.
Organizers are looking for more employers to participate, but the sign-up period ends Friday. It’s free. To register your company for the job fair, send an email to John Strandin or call the Workforce Connection at 815-395-6600.
The job fair will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, at the Belvidere Community Builidng, 111 W. First St.
December 18th, 2007
More than half of companies responding to a Wisconsin staffing firm’s survey said they expect to increase hiring in the first quarter of 2008. QPS polled 200 companies in Wisconsin and northern Illinois this month for its Employment Forecasting Survey.
The poll found that 54 percent plan to hire more and those who plan to increase payroll will do so by an average of 7.54 percent.
Almost three quarters of respondents expect average or above average growth in the first three months of the new year. But they expect a lack of qualified or skilled employees to be among the biggest issues in 2008.
November 14th, 2007
The toughest obstacle for former criminals who want to turn their lives around is finding a job. Nearly every employer asks if you’ve been convicted of a felony, and many won’t give an applicant a second look if the check the “yes”box.
But the law provides ways for ex-offenders to clean up their rap sheet. Several local agencies will host a day-long seminar Thursday on expungement, the process of purging or sealing criminal and arrest records. The event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Promise of Life Temple, 714 Third Ave., Rockford.
Many people who have never been convicted can qualify for the program along with others who were convicted of misdemeanor or non-violent crimes.
The event is co-sponsored by Exchange, Illinois Department of Employment Security, the Safer Foundation, Carpenter’s Place and the Workforce Connection.
Representatives of local agencies will be present with information about services available to ex-offenders. Among the agencies participating are the Salvation Army, the Illinois Department of Human Services, Rockford Sexual Assault Counseling, Winnebago County Weed and Seed, Northwest Community Center, Crusader Clinic, Rockford Rescue Mission, Careers Inc. and YouthBuild.
There also will be attorneys volunteering to discuss the expungement and sealing process.
November 7th, 2007
The UPS sorting hub at the Chicago Rockford International Airport is making its annual push for seasonal workers. It needs to hire 40 people a week to hit its targets, employment supervisor Kevin Doolian told me.
That means if you want to make a little Christmas money, can work in the middle of the night and can lift up to 70 pounds — you might consider this job. Shifts start between 10:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. Package handlers work between 15 and 20 hours a week between now and January.
I used to load packages at the hub — in fact, I was February 1996 Employee of the Month for the Blue Belt. At one time I knew almost every ZIP code in Iowa and Nebraska. I’ve never been able to find another venue to use that knowledge, except for the time I drove a friend nuts on a cross-country road trip by rattling off the five-digit numbers for every town that appeared on the exit signs on Interstate 80. Probably not a good use of such trivia…
But I digress. Seasonal employees earn $8.50 an hour and if they prove themselves and the company needs them, they could be hired on a permanent basis after the holiday rush. Permanent workers get medical benefits and tuition reimbursements.
Every holiday season, the hub grows its work force by hundreds to handle the rush. The week before Christmas is a mad house, but I kind of enjoyed the pace. I remember working 8 hours one night while we waited for a storm-stranded plane to arrive. This year, the hub needs nearly 2,000 total workers to handle its volume, Dulian said.
To apply, visit this site and click on “Rockford,” then on “Inquire About Opportunities Now.” You can enter all your contact information, answer a few questions and reserve a time to visit the UPS employment office for an interview. The openings are immediate, so if you’re interested and qualified, you could be working within days.
