Jun

16

Nursing industry suffering from lack of instructors

Posted by Dan

June 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment

My sister works as a pediatric nurse. It’s a stressful job. She works with kids who have cancer, and that all too often ends sadly.
I know, then, how important nurses are to patients. They provide much of the important caring for patients. Doctors get the glory; nurses do most of the dirty work.
Unfortunately, many states [...]

Jun

15

Mandatory corporate workshops: Aren’t we all stressed for time?

Posted by Dan

June 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

This week, the publishing company where I work is forcing employees to attend a mandatory hour-and-a-half sexual-harrassment workshop. And here I thought we were actually busy here thanks to all the layoffs we’ve suffered.
Sexual harrassment is a big issue, and a huge problem. But, I’m not sure that forcing employees to attend a 90-minute workshop [...]

Jun

12

Interested in working in a struggling field? Go for it

Posted by Dan

June 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I’m working on a story for a major newspaper’s Jobs section. It’s an interesting one, taking a look at people who are entering certain career fields even though those fields are struggling mightily.
I’ve spoken to real estate agents and mortgage lenders, for instance. Both of these fields are going through tough times today. You can [...]

Jun

11

Letting work slip through the cracks

Posted by Dan

June 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I’m sure there are no official statistics on this, but I wonder how many of us are getting a bit sloppy at work these days?
It’s not intentional. And it’s not laziness. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Employees are taking on more work at their jobs. They have to: A growing number of companies are [...]

Jun

4

Rising healthcare costs, unemployment a double whammy

Posted by Dan

June 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment

It’s hard enough on people that unemployment rates are at record levels across the country. They also have to deal with rising health-care costs.
The Los Angeles Times today ran a story that pointed out what’s painfully obvious to most of us: Medical bills are pushing more families toward financial ruin.
The Times story cites a Harvard University [...]

Jun

3

Freelancers, are you even considering asking for more money?

Posted by Dan

June 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment

These are tough times. Really tough times. According to news reports, a growing number of employees, if they haven’t been fired, are being forced to take mandatory days off without pay.
It’s all a bit depressing out there in the working world.
But what about those freelancers, those writers, editors or consultants who are the hired guns [...]

Jun

1

Can you really find a job through Twitter?

Posted by Dan

June 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment

The WalletPop blog had a fascinating post today about Twitter and its usefulness for people searching for a new job.
I won’t bore you with reciting what the blog says, but I do find it hard to believe that Twitter really can help you find a job. In fact, I find Twitter to be pretty much [...]

May

29

Does anyone ever hear back from craigslist job ads?

Posted by Dan

May 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Maybe it’s just me. I consider myself to be fairly skilled at what I do. After all, I’ve written for the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, BusinessWeek Online and a host of respected magazines and newspapers.
Yet, whenever I reply to a help-wanted job for writers at craigslist — even when I reply to some of the [...]

May

28

Desperate? Try a LaidOffCamp

Posted by Dan

May 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment

If you’ve been out of work for a long time, you undoubtedly need to vent. I understand that. That’s why I think the LaidOffCamp is a neat idea.
The Wall Street Journal ran an interesting story today about these camps, which are held across the country. Basically, they offer the unemployed a chance to network, learn [...]

May

21

What do unemployed people like? There’s a blog with an answer

Posted by Dan

May 21, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Back when the recession was first gaining steam, the mainstream media wrote a few stories about the ranks of uemployed people blogging about their experiences. It was a fun story on a rather grim topic.
I visited some of these blogs earlier today and found that many of them hadn’t been updated in months. I hope [...]

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