Fast Facts

Rinker & Associates

real world career coaching & consulting

Today is your day! Everyone is capable of living their dream. All it takes is courage, determination, and inspiration!

Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart! (Confucius)

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Are you in the groove and up to date? Here are Lorraine's favorite picks for job news, articles, and stats:

Click on the underlined text to link to the detailed information behind each topic.

Niche Job Sites

A balanced career or job search will include a majority of your time spent networking and the remainder of your time researching. More than 70% of all jobs are "found" through personal contacts within your networks, however, the internet can be a useful tool in a targeted search. The following niche job sites are favorites of Rinker & Associates:

6FigureJobs.com – Executive and senior-level jobs with salaries of $100,000 or more.

AARP.org/money/careers/findingajob – Jobs for people 50 and older.

AfterCollege.com – Jobs and internships for college students and recent graduates.

Craigslist.com – Online search hub for non-profit opportunities.

Dice.com – Technology-industry jobs.

Finance.Groups.Yahoo.com/group/hbs_tech_jobs – Jobs open to alumni of a handful of business schools.

JobsInTheMoney.com – Corporate-finance, accounting and commercial-banking jobs.

JournalismJobs.com – Jobs in newspapers, TV, radio, magazines and more.

KellyServices.com – Online job search for part-time or temporary jobs.

MarketingJobs.com – Sales and marketing jobs.

MedZilla.com – Jobs in biotech, health care, and pharmaceuticals.

TheLadders.com – Jobs paying $100,000 or more in a range of fields.

VeteranEmployment.com – For veterans, as well as active-duty, guard and reserve personnel.

Other Resource Sites

Capitolweekly.net - The newspaper of California government and politics – great resource if you’re interested in working for the state. Contact Ken Mandler ken.mandler@capitolweekly.net for information on “how to get a job with the state”. Capitolweekly.net/exams - lists all open exams.

Assessment.com - MAPP Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential, a self assessment that takes between 15 and 25 minutes to complete. According to the website, MAPP identifies your true motivations toward work and allows you to match yourself to job categories to see where you best fit. A partial results report is free or you can purchase a more comprehensive report.

FabJob.com - Fab Jobs is a great place to visit if you want ideas for your “dream job”. For instance: Become a Cake Decorator, Get a Job on a Cruise Ship, Work on Capitol Hill, etc.

10 Secrets for Searching for a Job During a Recession: From Mark Cummuta, CIO as published in the April 2008 issue of CIO Magazine:

Forget the "shotgun" job search method.
Start with a plan to find the right company first and the job second.
Focus on growth industries and specializations.
Consider different business environments.
Compete effectively with consultants.
Focus on revenue.
Your resume is a marketing tool, not a bio.
Try to be perfect. (i.e. be perceived as the "ideal" candidate)
Be prepared to be flexible. VERY flexible.
Plan for the long term.

Where Generations Diverge: From brandchannel.com - Consider parental input when marketing to Millennials: Whatever the generational division, there is agreement that kids currently entering college are something new. According to Strauss and Howe, Millennials diverge from older Gen-Y models in several key aspects:

	Unlike earlier generations, Millennials have a near-zero generation gap, and parent-child co-purchase decisions are common. Martin agrees, saying: "When you ask this generation who their heroes are, the majority say their parents." Brands seeking to appeal to this generation in the name of rebellion will increasingly fall flat.
	Millennials are expected to retain close parental bonds even after leaving home, and they are more likely to consult with their parents on major decisions. Marketing aimed at this generation should consider the input of parents on big-ticket purchases.
	The "helicopter parents" of Millennials are increasingly found on campus, monitoring any physical or moral threat to their children's progress. Parental input must increasingly be factored into any beliefs about the greater susceptibility of Gen-Y versus Gen-X to marketing messages.

Key Facts About Women-Owned Businesses: Are you a woman who owns her own business? Do you work for a woman-owned business, or more importantly, are you servicing a woman-owned business? This may be a growth are for you to seriously consider exploring and learning more about.

Sample from the Center for Women's Business Research:

	Nearly 10.4 million firms are owned by women (50% or more), employing more than 12.8 million people, and generating $1.9 trillion in sales.
	Three quarters of all women-owned businesses are majority owned by women (51% or more), for a total of 7.7 million firms, employing more than .1 million people, and generating $1.1 trillion in sales.
	For the past two decades, majority women-owned firms have continued to grow at around two times the rate of all firms (42% vs. 24%).

Seven Major Job Trends for 2007: Is finding a new job on your list of New Year's resolutions? The market may be in your favor.

Sample from Matt Ferguson's article:

	81% of employers report their companies will increase salaries for existing employees.
	19% of employers say they are very or extremely willing to provide more flexible work arrangements for employees such as job sharing and alternate schedules.
	One in five employers plan to rehire retirees (the infamous retiring Baby Boomers) from other companies or provide incentives for workers approaching retirement age to stay on with the company longer.

Job Search Trends: Top 10 Job Searches - According to this on-line recruiting service, Sales and Marketing jobs were the top two most popular job searches between January 23 - January 29, 2007. (Note: The majority of Rinker and Associates' clients are either currently working in sales or marketing careers; or would like to return/shift to a marketing related career.)

The Difference Between an Employee and an Independent Contractor - Trying to figure out whether you are an employee or an independent contractor is not as easy as it sounds. Knowing the difference is particularly important since many Baby Boomers will opt to return to the workforce (or stay on through retirement) as 1099 consultants (i.e. independent contractors).