It’s no secret that American’s are now living in an employers market. Gone are the days when headhunters lined up at your door hoping to sign you as a client. Hundreds of hopeful job seekers are even lining up to compete for positions that pay less than what was offered (for the same job) just a few years ago. So what does this mean for today’s job seeker? You need a strategy and it starts with knowing your skills and accepting your strengths and weaknesses.

To get started with assessing your skills and finding a suitable match in the job world, the first thing you need to do is understand the difference between a skill and what you “like” to do or “feel” you’re good at. According to Laurence Shatkin, Ph.D. and career expert:

A skill is a learned capability to perform actions. A skill is a capability because it gives you the potential to do something competently. A skill is learned because it is not something you are born with, and it is not acquired through normal sensory development or through special physical conditioning. It is not a talent or aptitude. A skill allows you to perform actions rather than just know or feel something, which is what makes it valuable to employers.

Keep in mind that critical thinking and a positive attitude are considered skills because they require actions on your part such as learning how to see things from someone else’s point of view, speaking with an upbeat tone or offering assistance with any given task. These skills, combined with certain technical skills such as typing, programming, etc., all make up a skill set and they all contribute to completing projects and other work related tasks.

So, now it’s time to take out a pen and a piece of paper and jot down your skills. After you have written your skills on a piece of paper, take a long, hard look at them. Now rate them. Use 1 for “low level,” use 2 for “moderate level” and use 3 for “high level.” Once you have done this, choosing the best jobs for your skills will be easy.

Below are just a few examples of best jobs for people with a high level of communication skills, equipment use/maintenance skills, computer programming skills, management skills, science skills, and social skills. These positions are listed as the top ten best jobs for your skills out of 50 by JIST Works, America’s Career Publisher. Please note that these careers require a “high level” of the listed skill and each list offers a wide variety of positions for all different education levels and personality types.

Communication Skills

• - Teachers (Postsecondary)
• - Surgeons
• - Dental Hygienists
• - Medical Scientists
• - Personal Financial Advisors
• - Physical Therapists
• - Physician Assistants
• - Pharmacists
• - Social and Community Service Managers
• - Market Research Analysts

Equipment Use/Maintenance Skills

• - Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
• - Anesthesiologists
• - Management Analysts
• - Network and Computer Systems Administrators
• - Computer Support Specialists
• - Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters
• - Plumbers
• - Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technologists
• -Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers
• -Forest Fire Fighters

Computer Programming Skills

• - Computer Software Engineers (Applications)
• - Computer Software Engineers (Systems Software)
• - Computer Systems Analysts
• - Computer and Systems Information Managers
• - Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts
• - Computer Security Specialists
• - Network and Computer Systems Administrators
• - Financial Analysts
• - Accountants
• - Actuaries

Management Skills

• - Computer and Systems Information Managers
• - General and Operations Managers
• - Computer Security Specialists
• - Medical and Health Service Manager
• - Sales Managers
• - Management Analysts
• - Marketing Managers
• - Accountants
• - Auditor
• - Medical Scientists

 Science Skills

• - Anesthesiologists
• - Internists (General)
• - Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• - Psychiatrists
• - Surgeons
• - Family and General Practitioners
• - Computer Software Engineers, Systems Software
• - Pediatricians (General)
• - Pharmacists
• - Teachers (Postsecondary)

Social Skills

• - Internists (General)
• - Obstetricians and Gynecologists
• - Psychiatrists
• - Registered Nurses
• - Family and General Practitioners
• - Pediatricians (General)
• - General and Operations Managers
• - Dental Hygienists
• - Auditors
• - Medical and Health Service Managers

For a complete list of jobs, profiles, salaries, expected job growth and more, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at Bls.gov.

During a time when people are fighting hard to keep their jobs, you’d have to be crazy to actually quit yours, right? Wrong! There are still some people out there that would rather dip into their life savings, or worse—move back home, than continue working at a job that makes them miserable. Why? Because the way they see it, the long-term consequences of staying will probably be worse than spending the next 6-12 months searching for a better position.

So, what are the top reasons work has become so unbearable for some? According to a recent Forbes.com article, the most common reasons people are miserable at work are balance, money, skills, respect, meaning, and struggle.

• Balance: It’s impossible to balance work and outside/family life
• Money: The money isn’t enough to sustain them or their families
• Skills: The skills and talents required for their work aren’t are a good fit
• Respect: They feel chronically undervalued or mistreated
• Meaning: They experience little positive meaning or purpose in their work
• Struggle: It’s simply too hard to keep going with it

Before setting out to make a change, the article suggest that you do three things:

Dedicate yourself to what you want— A fulfilling, satisfying life is not going to just fall in your lap. You have to claim it, and commit to getting it with concentrated, continual effort. You have to work it.

Refine your focus— Do you know exactly which talents and skills are easy and natural for you to use, that give your work a sense of purpose?  Do you know what type of work would represent an ideal fit? Are you in touch with your core values, standards of integrity and life goals?

Find the courage to make change—if you don’t take concrete action that is different in content and process from what you’ve done before, your life and career will not change.

For more information about jobs and career visit Forbes Careers at http://www.forbes.com/careers/.

There are many reasons companies aren’t hiring. They don’t have to because they can hire one person to do the work of several employees, the have more than enough employees—overseas, and some companies are just plain scared. This is the case with many companies that enjoy a substantial increase in profits from year to year, but instead of hiring, they choose to hold onto the profits. Some profitable companies have even gone a step further by laying off workers, even though they have the means to pay them.

According to a recent MSNBC.com report:

Business owners are a gun-shy bunch these days. When asked why they aren’t hiring, you’ll often hear the word “uncertainties.” Those range from not knowing whether taxes might increase at some point to worries about how health care reform could add to employee costs in the future.

Running a business is always going to be fraught with uncertainties, but these days business owners are feeling especially on edge about taking any sort of risk with hiring.

So what will it take for these companies to start hiring again? Michael Alter, President and CEO of SurePayroll, and Roosevelt University Professor Samuel Rosenberg spoke with Tribune reporter Kristin Samuelson about what needs to happen in order to coax profitable companies into loosening the belt. Alter says that to increase hiring, companies have to increase growth and slow their productivity gains, while Rosenberg feels that the market would have to grow to such an extent that the companies can’t meet the demand for their products.

Both agree that the road to recovery will be long and difficult. Alter mentions that because consumer spending drives growth, and you can’t spend if you’re not employed, it’s going to be very hard for the U.S. to come back. Rosenberg mentions that it will take a very, very long time for unemployment levels to drop to a more reasonable level, and this is impossible to predict.

Every fresh college graduate has experienced rejection based on lack of experience, but eventually most graduates obtain enough experience to move past an entry level position and into a position with more responsibility and higher pay. Having experience is usually a good thing, but lately having too much experience has become an obstacle that thousands of seasoned job seekers face every day. The reasons for this vary. For starters, according to a recent Tribune Media Services report, the talent pool is overflowing, thanks to mass lay-offs of people with 15 to 20 years of experience. This means older professionals with lots of experience, which brings a higher price tag, are now competing with younger professionals with some or enough experience, which means a lower price tag.

The potential price tag of someone with too much experience isn’t the only reason employers might take a pass. Many employers also believe that someone with so much experience might move on as soon as a better opportunity presents itself or they might get bored. Fortunately, there are ways to position your qualifications, says Maribeth Kuzmeski, author of “And the Clients Went Wild: How Savvy Business Professionals in Win All the Business They Want,” and it doesn’t involve downplaying them.

Job applicants should never downplay accomplishments. It’s better to position your qualifications as assets—which they are—rather than drawbacks. Job applicants should tailor their resumes to reflect  skills and achievements, not a laundry list of former employers and job titles.

Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University in Greencastle, Ind. adds that “presenting job titles and years of experience provides just enough information for an employer’s imagination to run wild, and not in the favor of the job seeker.”

Kuzmeski points out that job seekers should spell out other important benefits of their experience, such as the life experience that makes them more capable of handling difficult client situations or coworker conflicts. They should also be the first to bring up the topic of being overqualified. This is especially the case if an interviewer seems hesitant or keeps bringing up past experience, Kuzmeski says.

If this is the case, just ask what the concerns might be. By asking, you’re again showing that you are proud of your achievements and you care and want to hear what the employer thinks. It’s actually a great way to build on the relationship.

An education degree can lead to a career as an elementary, secondary or postsecondary educator. A career in this field offers growth, stability, and a competitive salary at all levels. In today’s economy, growth and stability are top priorities for job seekers. Job growth in the education sector is expected to average between 13-15 percent between now and 2018. This is faster than the average for all occupations. 

Before you can become a member of this respected group of professonals, you will have to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher in teacher education. Very few are accepted into this field with an associate’s degree. In fact, more than 90% of teachers enter this career field with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and most hold a master’s degree or doctoral degree. Around 10% hold a first professional degree.

The level of education attained can have a dramatic effect on earning potential. Doctoral degree holders make 30% more than master’s degree holders, and master’s degree holders make 29% more than bachelor’s degree holder’s. Bachelor degree holders earn roughly 18% more than associate degree holders. Coveted positions that offer greater responsibilities and research opportunities are reserved for masters, doctorate, and first professional degree holders.

Earning an Education Degree

To get started on a career as an educator, you should enroll in an accredited bachelor’s degree program or higher in teacher education. The program curriculum will consist advanced versions of the subjects you plan to teach as well as:

• -Curriculum Development
• -Diversity in the Classroom
• -Diversity on the Workplace
• -Education of Children
• -School Law
• -Leadership and Teaching
• -Internship

The program should be accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC) or other Department of Education approved accrediting agency. This will make fulfilling licensure requirements easier. In addition, most schools prefer graduates from accredited programs, whether the program is through a traditional college or university, or online. 

Other approved accrediting agencies include:

• -Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
• -Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• -Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
• -Distance Education and Training Council (DETC)

Regional accrediting agencies include Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, New England Association of Schools and Colleges, and North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Postsecondary Education Jobs and Salaries

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Median annual earnings of all postsecondary teachers in May 2008 were $58,830. The middle 50 percent earned between $41,600 and $83,960. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $28,870, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $121,850.

Earnings for college faculty vary with the rank and type of institution, geographic area, and field. According to a 2008–09 survey by the American Association of University Professors, salaries for full-time faculty averaged $79,439.  By rank, the average was $108,749 for professors, $76,147 for associate professors, $63,827 for assistant professors, $45,977 for instructors, and $52,436 for lecturers. In 2008–09, full-time faculty salaries averaged $92,257 in private independent institutions, $77,009 in public institutions, and $71,857 in religiously affiliated private colleges and universities.

Faculty in 4-year institutions earn higher salaries, on average, than do those in 2-year schools. In fields with high-paying nonacademic alternatives—medicine, law, engineering, and business, among others—earnings exceed these averages. In others fields, such as the humanities and education, earnings are lower. Earnings for postsecondary career and technical education teachers vary widely by subject, academic credentials, experience, and region of the country.

Many faculty members have significant earnings from consulting, teaching additional courses, research, writing for publication, or other employment, in addition to their base salary. Many college and university faculty enjoy unique benefits, including access to campus facilities, tuition waivers for dependents, housing and travel allowances, and paid leave for sabbaticals. Part-time faculty and instructors usually have fewer benefits than full-time faculty have.

Elementary, Middle School, and Secondary Jobs and Salaries

Educators interested in or with experience working in inner city schools or rural areas will have the most job opportunities in the coming years. If you are willing to commute or even relocate, you can increase your chances of obtaining a lucrative and stable teaching position. The highest paying metropolitan areas for teachers include Columbus, OH; Baltimore, MD; Cleveland, OH; Riverside, CA; San Francisco, CA, and Sacramento, CA. Salaries range from an average of $45,000-$50,000+.

AOL cut 20 percent of its workforce today, eliminating 950 jobs in the U.S. and India. Last year, the company cut 2,300 employees during its first round of layoffs. This year’s round of layoffs was aimed at trimming the budget, getting rid of positions that no longer serve a purpose, and eliminating jobs that overlapped with the Huffington Post website, which AOL acquired just days ago. None of the 250 Huffington Post employees that joined AOL lost their jobs. Instead, 200 employees who work for AOL’s media and technology groups lost their jobs, and 750 employees in India.

In the U.S., AOL laid off reporters and editors who worked for its travel site and business, personal finance sites Daily Finance and Wallet Pop. It also cut across its news and politics sites, including Politics Daily, according to people familiar with the matter. Employees who were laid off started packing up their belongings on Thursday, a person familiar with the matter said.

The operations in India are in part a vestige of AOL’s old business as an Internet service provider, starting with call center outsourcing into 2002 and later changing into a business operations center. Recently, the group focused more on tech and financial support as well as functions such as advertising operations.

Although AOL acquired the Huffington Post for $315 million, the company is still on shaky ground. According to WSJ, AOL shares are trading at their lowest levels since the company split off from Time Warner Inc. in December 2009. Shares of AOL were off 34 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $19 in Thursday 4 p.m. composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange. And according to research firm eMarketer Inc., AOL’s ad revenues dropped 26 percent in 2010, while the overall online ad market grew around 14 percent. AOL has steadily lost market share to rivals Google Inc. and Facebook Inc.

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong said he expects AOL’s online advertising business to start growing again during the second half of the year.

“AOL remains in the middle of the disruption that the Internet is causing and we are starting to move from being a disrupted brand to a brand that is leading the disruption,” Mr. Armstrong said in his memo. “The changes we are making are not easy, but they are the right changes for the long-term health of the company, the brand, and for our employees.”

After all is said and done, AOL will employ about 4,000 people. This figure does not include staff that currently work for AOL’s local Patch news sites, which recently hired 1,200 new employees.

Everyone wants to get paid what they’re worth, right? Well, engineering graduates have the opportunity to do just that, and then some. Engineering graduates have the potential to earn $72,490-$108,020 per year and they also have a wide variety of specialty areas to choose from including:

-Aerospace, Agricultural, Biomedical, Chemical, Civil, Computer Hardware
-Electrical, Electronics, Environmental, Health and Safety, Industrial, Marine
-Materials, Mechanical, Mining and Geological, Mining Safety, Nuclear
-Petroleum

Earnings could be even more depending on specialty. For example, at a median annual wage of $108,020, petroleum engineers earn the highest salaries in the industry, followed by computer hardware engineers at $97,400, and nuclear engineers at $97,080 annually. 

Salary is only one advantage to pursuing a career in engineering. The industry is stable and growing. Although job growth is expected in all specialty areas, except chemical engineering, job growth for biomedical engineering is projected at 72 percent for the 2008-2018 decade. For environmental engineering, employment growth is 31 percent, civil engineering is 24 percent, and petroleum engineering is around 18 percent. 

Although stressful at times, particularly when a deadline must be met, overall, the work environment for engineers is pleasant and well suited for the tasks at hand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,

Most engineers work in office buildings, laboratories, or industrial plants. Others may spend time outdoors at construction sites and oil and gas exploration and production sites, where they monitor or direct operations or solve onsite problems. Some engineers travel extensively to plants or worksites here and abroad. Many engineers work a standard 40-hour week.

If you would like to earn an engineering degree, you should enroll in an engineering program at an accredited college, university, or technical school. Some of the top accrediting agencies are:

-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
-The Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
-Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
-Accrediting Commission for Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT)
-Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS)
-Distance Education Training Council (DETC)
-Council on Occupational Education (COE)

The top regional accrediting agencies include:

-Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
-New England Association of Schools and Colleges
-North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
-Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
-Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
-Western Association of Schools and Colleges

Before enrolling in any engineering degree program, whether traditional or online, make sure the accrediting agency is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

If you’re curious about what it takes to earn an engineering degree, below is a partial list of required courses for most engineering programs. 

-Analysis Tools for Engineers
-Applied Chemistry for Biomedical Engineering
-Biological Foundations
-Calculus
-Cell and Molecular Biology
-Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics
-Electrical Circuits
-Engineering Design
-Engineering Mechanics
-General Chemistry
-General Physics
-Linear Algebra and Vector Analysis for Engineers
-Mechanics of Materials
-Methods of Differential Equations
-Physiological Processes
-Transport Phenomena

For more information about engineering careers, visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics at Bls.gov. For information about top engineering programs in the U.S. and abroad, visit The Princeton Review at Princetonreview.com.

The Silicon Valley Chapter of the International Game Developers Association (SV IGDA) will host a night of career talks, new technology demonstrations, and match-ups with potential employers at Google. According to Mercury News, the event is for game industry professionals and technology professionals (web clients/server and mobile and console developers). So,

If you are interested in looking at new technologies, platforms and talking directly to companies developing and in some cases looking for new team members, then this event is crafted for you.

Speakers, presenters, and sponsors include:

A Bit Lucky
Arrival Games 
Be-Rad Entertainment
Bioroid Studios  
D2SGames
Dragon Age Legends 
Electronic Arts will be presenting
Fancy Pants Adventures
Gamebuilder Studio 
Google Game Developer Liason Ian Ni-Lewis
Great Big Enterprise
Huggy Hearts
Idle Games 
Jump Core Productions 
Kabam
Lolapps
Mary-Margaret Walker: Career Visionary and CEO, Mary-Margaret Network
Misfits AtticsOpen Feint
Paypal
Radium One
YoXi123 founder Shirly Lin

The event is free and will take place on Wednesday March 16, 2011 from 6:30-9:30 p.m. PST at Google, 1400 Crittenden Lane, Mountain View, CA, 94043. You have to register online in order to attend. The fastest way to register is through Eventbrite.com. For email inquiries, try caughtthinking@gmail.com.

Before you decide to relocate to another state because you read somewhere that it’s the “best state to find a job,” it’s best to do your homework. This means, find out what types of jobs are actually available and why. You might be surprised by what you discover.

The Huffington Post published an article today titled “The Top 11 States To find a Job,” but it turns out that many of the jobs are low-paying and mostly available in three main industries: agriculture, natural resource extraction, and federal government work.

Gallup has published its latest Job Creation Index, providing a state-by-state comparison of which states predominately hired, fired, and stood pat in 2010. As the U.S. job market struggled, the highest-ranking states relied on one of three industries: agriculture, natural resource extraction, or federal government work.

But not all jobs — or state economies — are created equal, and many of the states on Gallup’s list often create low-paying jobs. Arkansas, for example, ranks fifth best on Gallup’s Job Creation Index, but its median household income is a $39,392, good for second-worst in the country. Maryland, on the other hand, might rank lower on the index, but it has the third-highest median household income in the country.

Gallup based its rankings on nearly 200,000 interviews conducted only with employed adults. Interviewees said whether their company was hiring, not changing in size or laying off workers. The Job Creation Index number represents that difference between “the percentage reporting an expansion and the percentage reporting a reduction in their workforces.”

If you’re still interested in finding out what the states on the Gallup list have to offer, the 11 states below made the cut:

11. Pennsylvania
2010 Job Creation Index: 13
Percent Hiring: 31.2
Percent Letting Go: 18.8
Unemployment Rate: 8.5% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $39,578 (19/51)
Median Household Income: $49,829 (26/51)

10. Iowa
2010 Job Creation Index: 13
Percent Hiring: 29.9
Percent Letting Go: 17.1
Unemployment Rate: 6.1% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $36,751 (28/51)
Median Household Income: $50,422 (23/51)

9. Oklahoma
2010 Job Creation Index: 14
Percent Hiring: 31.7
Percent Letting Go: 18.0
Unemployment Rate: 6.8% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $35,268 (34/51)
Median Household Income: $45,507 (40/51)

8. Texas
2010 Job Creation Index: 14
Percent Hiring: 32.1
Percent Letting Go: 18.1
Unemployment Rate: 8.3% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $36,484 (29/51)
Median Household Income: $47,143 (35/51)

7. Maryland
2010 Job Creation Index: 15
Percent Hiring: 34.3
Percent Letting Go: 19.1
Unemployment Rate: 7.4% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $48,285 (5/51)
Median Household Income: $65,183 (3/51)

6. West Virginia
2010 Job Creation Index: 15
Percent Hiring: 32.5
Percent Letting Go: 17.1
Unemployment Rate: 9.7% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $32,219 (45/51)
Median Household Income: $40,627 (49/51)

5. Arkansas
2010 Job Creation Index: 17
Percent Hiring: 32.5
Percent Letting Go: 16.0
Unemployment Rate: 7.9% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $31,946 (46/51)
Median Household Income: $39,392 (50/51)

4. Alaska
2010 Job Creation Index: 19
Percent Hiring: 35.1
Percent Letting Go: 15.8
Unemployment Rate: 7.9% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $42,603 (10/51)
Median Household Income: $63,505 (5/51)

3. South Dakota
2010 Job Creation Index: 21
Percent Hiring: 29.9
Percent Letting Go: 8.9
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $36,935 (26/51)
Median Household Income: $48,416 (29/51)

2. Washington D.C.
2010 Job Creation Index: 21
Percent Hiring: 29.9
Percent Letting Go: 8.9
Unemployment Rate: 4.7% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $36,935 (26/51)
Median Household Income: $48,416 (29/51)

1. South Dakota
2010 Job Creation Index: 29
Percent Hiring: 37.6
Percent Letting Go: 8.2
Unemployment Rate: 3.8% (Dec. 2010)
GDP Per Capita: $39,530 (20/51)
Median Household Income: $49,450 (27/51)

Ah, 2004. U.S. unemployment was a mere 6% and the average home price reached $264,540. 2004 was a time when many people lived well and earned more. Well today, many industries are either down and out, or out altogether, and many cities throughout the U.S. still have high unemployment rates. Silicon Valley is an exception.

Bloomberg reports that Silicon Valley employers rebounded from the recession by adding 12,300 positions in 2010, though the total number of jobs is only back to 2004 levels, according to an annual economic report on the region.

The study, released Februray 14, 2011, by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, also found per- capita income stabilized last year, at $62,400 — the same level as in 2005. Meanwhile, the region is still reeling from cutbacks in government jobs and programs, according to the report.

“The good news is the private sector is doing its thing — don’t ask me how they’re doing it, they’re defying gravity,” Russell Hancock, chief executive officer of Joint Venture, a nonprofit group in San Jose, California, said in an interview. “The problem is the public sector is slammed.”

Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and a new crop of social- networking startups are stepping up hiring, helping offset government cuts and the shift of computer-hardware jobs to lower-cost regions. Google is adding 6,000 jobs worldwide this year, and Facebook plans to boost its workforce by 50 percent annually. The social-networking giant will move its headquarters to Menlo Park from nearby Palo Alto to accommodate the growth.

One of the companies adding employees was Apple, Inc. The Cupertino, California-based company increased its workforce by 36 percent California-based to 46,600 as of September 2010. Apple also reported having 2,800 full-time temporary workers and contractors around this time, up from 2,500 in 2009.