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

10

Fewer job openings means more unemployment

Posted by Dan

June 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment

The number of job openings hit a new low in April. Not surprisingly, this has caused unemployment to jump again, this time by 0.5 percent in May.
You can read the dismal numbers in this story in the Nashville Business Journal. The basics, though, are this: As of the last day of April, there were 2.5 [...]

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

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 [...]

May

14

Looking for work? Don’t pay for career help that you can get for free

Posted by Dan

May 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment

When people are out of work, they’re a bit panicky. That’s human nature.
Picture yourself without your steady income. Think you wouldn’t get a little dizzy thinking of how, exactly, you’ll be paying that mortgage? I know I’d have my head in the oven. Blogging doesn’t do much to help make a mortgage payment.
These nerves can [...]

May

4

The need to adapt

Posted by Dan

May 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Work has become a drag for me. I’ve always loved the fact that I support my family, and pay a home mortgage, simply by writing.
There aren’t many people out there who love their work.
Problem is, I’m not loving the freelance-writing life quite as much these days. It’s the economy, of course, and the fact that [...]

May

1

Are the resume’ Web sites worth it?

Posted by Dan

May 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment

It’s a terrible economy out there, and job hunters are plentiful. Everyone is searching for ways to stand out from the rest of the unemployed.
So how about online resume’ sites, those Web sites promising to create an electronic version of your resume’, tricked out with video, pictures and whatever else you’d like to throw on [...]

Apr

29

The amazing shrinking economy

Posted by Dan

April 29, 2009 | Leave a Comment

It’s official: We are suffering through the worst recession in at least 50 years.
Feel better? I don’t.
According to this story by Bloomberg, the U.S. Gross Domestic Product fell at a 6.1 percent annual rate in the first quarter. That was even worse than originally forecast, and it follows a 6.3 drop in the final three [...]

Apr

27

More moonlighting for U.S. workers?

Posted by Dan

April 27, 2009 | Leave a Comment

My dad worked as a typesetter and proofreader at a Chicago-based printing company for most of my childhood. The money was steady, and my father enjoyed the work.
Of course, that didn’t stop him from driving a schoolbus in the mornings. Any extra money helped when raising a family. (We kids liked when he got to [...]

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