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Are Work Relationships Really That Important?

February 15, 2011 / Michelle Burton

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Just when you thought the workplace was supposed to be for, well—work, someone comes along and says otherwise. Lois P. Frankel, Ph.D. and author of Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office 101: Unconscious Decisions Women Make That Sabotage Their Career, claims that workers need to build relationships on the job in order to advance their careers. She also mentions that it only takes 5% of your day, which is around 20 minutes or so a day, to build strong 360-degree relationships. How? Frankel provides the following tips on how to work on relationship building without neglecting your responsibilities at work:

-Take a moment to compliment someone on a particular accomplishment.
-During a business phone call.
-On the way to or from the parking lot.
-Over lunch (even if it’s lunch at your desk).
-Before, during or after a meeting.
-In a brief doorway conversation.
-After work at professional association meetings.

If you’re confused about how this can help advance your career in today’s shaky workplace, it’s probably a good idea to pick up a copy of Frankel’s book. Let us know what you think.

Your Career, Your Network, Your Team, Your Workplace

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Getting a Computer Science Degree

February 14, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Modern Technology

Two of the fastest growing careers in the world are software engineers and network systems analysts. These and other technology driven careers continue to grow even as other careers dwindle, while even more have all but died. This stable and growing career field also offers some of the highest salaries in the U.S. In fact, the average computer scientist earns a cool $86,000 per year. This is higher than 33% of all careers nationwide.

The technology industry is always on the lookout for new talent, so if you think you might be interested in a career in this field, you can get started by choosing a focus area, then enroll in a computer science degree program. Major areas of study include software and hardware engineering, computer systems analysis, database administration, computer and information systems, computer science, operations research analysis, mathematics, an atmospheric science, computer science teacher, and video game design. Bachelor’s and master’s degrees are offered in these areas, and some institutions even offer Ph.D. depending on the focus area.

Aspiring technology professionals can also opt for a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in any of the areas listed above. The standard curriculum for a B.S. in Computer Science typically requires 360 units or 124 credit hours divided into the following sections:

-Computer Science
-Mathematics/Probability
-Engineering and Natural Sciences
-Humanities and Arts
-Required Minor
-Free Electives

Major courses may include introduction to data structures, principles of programming, introduction to computer systems, algorithm design and analysis, foundations of software engineering, database applications, computational discrete mathematics, computer networks, and probability and computing.

To find the best schools for computer science majors, visit Princetonreview.com or U.S. News & World Report college rankings. These popular college directories are a reliable source of information about the nation’s best programs. If you decide to use other sources and you find several schools that sound interesting, make sure you do some research of your own. Make sure the school is accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, as employer’s prefer candidates with a degree from an accredited school. You can check the accreditation status for any school in the U.S. at www.ed.gov.

Your Career, Your Workplace

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Is Your Occupation Dying?

February 11, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Postal Sorting

You may have noticed that there are fewer people working at reception desks, in administrative positions, at checkout counters, and in factories, and more computers are popping up in their place. Self-service check-out, and computers and robots that can do everything from sort mail to assemble a car, have all but eliminated millions of jobs around the world—and the trend is expected to continue.

A whopping 300,000 administrative jobs alone disappeared between 2004-2009 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and it projects “continued contraction throughout the next decade.” File clerk positions are expected to decline 23 percent, and according to a recent Forbes article, technology has put postal service mail sorters on the chopping block as well. After losing nearly 57,000 jobs between 2004 and 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a further 30 percent decline in this occupation by 2018.

“The kinds of jobs that are disappearing are the jobs that pay really well (for) relatively unskilled workers,” says Harry Holzer, Ph.D., Georgetown University economist and co-author of “Where Are All The Good Jobs Going.” He lists manufacturing jobs as a leading example, saying that well-paid assembly jobs that require modest training and only a high school diploma or less are a thing of the past.
So where did all the good jobs go? “The combination of technological advancement and off-shoring has shrunk these jobs,” says Holzer.

The following list represents only a few of the world’s dying occupations. Many more are expected to kick the bucket in the coming years.

-Computer Operators: declined by 31% from 2004-2009

-Radio Operators: declined by 43% from 2004-2009

-Carpenters: declined by 17% from 2004-2009

-Stage Performers: declined by 61% from 2004-2009

-Holistic Healers: declined by 44% from 2004-2009

-Telemarketers: 15% decline by 2018

-Door-To-Door Salespeople: 11% decline by 2018

-Photo Processors: 24% decline by 2018

-Seamstress: 34% decline by 2018

Your Career, Your Workplace

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Developing your Core Values

February 10, 2011 / Sergio Ruiz

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As your career and life develop, you begin to grow and change. Sooner or later, you may find that you don’t fit your current professional situation. It may not be that you are miserable, but something is amiss.

While most workers will tend to either suck it up and internalize, or live a life of quiet desperation, there is another choice. At some point, you should examine what your core values are, and what the non negotiables are in your life.

This week, we did a podcast on just how to go about such an exercise.

Tune in and we’d love to help you on your journey.

Your Career

Temporary Staffing Agencies on a Roll

February 9, 2011 / Michelle Burton

Temp Agency

There are many reasons to sign up with a temp agency. You might need supplemental income, you might work while you look for job, or maybe you want to get your foot in the door at a top company. Whatever your reason for signing with a temp agency, you can count on plenty of assignments to choose from once you become a member of the temp talent pool.

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, many temp agencies report that business has been on the rise since around September of 2010 and according to the American Staffing Association, the number of temporary workers jumped 25%, to an average of 2.6 million a day, in the third quarter of 2010 compared with the same period a year earlier. One Torrance, CA staffing agency owner even stated that sales on the temporary-employment side of her business, which accounts for about 70% of her revenue, were up 8% in 2010 compared with the year before. So why all the interest in temporary workers?

Agencies that provide temporary staffing are benefiting from the fact that companies are feeling more optimistic about their short-term prospects but not confident enough to add permanent workers.
“The new reality is people have been much more resistant to bringing on permanent employees than they have been in the past because of the uncertainty of where the economy is going,” said Michael Neidle, president of Optimal Management, a San Mateo, Calif., consulting firm for small- and medium-size staffing companies.
Neidle estimated that temporary workers would make up 4% of the workforce within three years, from a low of 1.65% before the recession.

If you’re looking for an agency, visit Net-Temps.com to locate temporary staffing agencies in your area. Many staffing agencies can also help you find permanent employment.

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