Times get tough get creative

Friday, October 10th, 2008 | Goegghead | No Comments

This article that I found is very insightful on the real truth that lies in the job market especially the college grad market. The article is kind of lengthy but very informative. Take note of the visible short falls that exist in the college recruitment market. 

 

By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune Published: October 10, 2008

Professionally dressed and eager for an interview, Lauren Hillsgrove roamed a University of Tampa job fair last week and searched for employers who would accommodate her chosen career: public relations and event planning.She found none.Hillsgrove, a senior at UT, visited the same job fair a year ago, when recruiters filled nearly two-thirds of the gym. Now, she has $100,000 in student loans to repay and prospective employers trickled into just one-third of the gym.”This is the worst time for us to be graduating,” she said, after spending an hour talking to recruiters and coming up empty.The same frustration has roiled many would-be job candidates who are ready to graduate from college during the worst economic meltdown since the Great Depression.Local college career counselors are reporting hundreds fewer jobs on their message boards, and recruiters are absent from job fairs they visited just last year. Among the smattering of banks and federal departments at UT’s job fair last week were restaurant chains and retail outlets looking for store managers and rental car agencies, insurance groups and independent companies offering pay-by-commission sales jobs. For some students, moving to another state is a better option ”A lot of my friends who graduated in May are living with their parents,” said Kristen Benoit, 21, an advertising senior at UT who’s from Dade City. The job forecast, however, is worsening nationwide. Companies surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers this fall said they planned to hire 6.1 percent more new graduates, down from 16 percent a year ago. Even that is likely to trickle downward. Officials with the association said its estimates likely are inaccurate because one-third of the companies surveyed said the souring economy will affect their hiring projections. Unemployment rolls are swelling by millions nationwide, and the jobless rate for Americans is at 6.1 percent. It’s worse in Florida, where the unemployment rate is 6.5 percent.

A ‘Paralyzing’ Search

The trends are borne out in job postings available to students. There were 455 full-time jobs posted on UT’s electronic career service from June to October, a 45 percent drop from the same time in 2007. The university’s job fair hosted just 35 companies, down from nearly 50 a year ago. Although graduation is months away for most seniors, it takes an average of six months to find a job in a good economy, said Tim Harding, UT’s career services director. To students, news of a deepening recession “is almost paralyzing in some ways,” Harding said. “They almost feel there are no jobs.” When students do find jobs openings, they find increased competition for them. Graduates aren’t just competing with one another other but also with seasoned professionals who have been laid off or are looking for other work, said Drema Howard, the director of the University of South Florida’s career center. There were 175 employers at USF’s career fair this month, and that number is down from 215 a year ago, Howard said.

“We still have employers coming to campus,” Howard said. “The difference is how they’re recruiting. Employers are looking to replace people. There’s not this large amount of openings out there.” Missy McPherson, the recruiting manager at Raymond James Financial, said the company is filling jobs but that students will find that “it’s going to be a little tougher.” More of its competitors are slashing jobs, so Raymond James is drawing more talent from other states, McPherson said. It’s not just financial firms squeezing out job prospects. Student after student visiting recruiters at UT’s job fair expressed the same disappointment: There were no jobs for the skills they had, and they had few skills for the jobs they wanted.

Better Luck Elsewhere

For many, the first repayment of student loans awaits upon graduation, so finding a job is paramount. Channon Goodman, a UT senior majoring in criminal justice and a former Marion County firefighter, has $60,000 in student loans. The call center where she was working downsized and cut her job, and Wal-Mart reduced her weekly hours as a customer service manager. She found some prospects with the federal agencies offering employment at the job fair, including work at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, but they told her that the hiring process takes about 1 1/2 years. ”I don’t have a year-and-a-half,” Goodman said. “I’m freaking out.”Not all is lost, Harding said. Most vacant jobs aren’t posted, so students must network, he said. Students have to be inquisitive and strike up conversations with potential employers during their day-to-day lives. Graduates also will find more options if they are willing to relocate, Howard said. ”I think they have to adjust their expectations,” she said.Darren Rubin already has adjusted. The 30-year-old Wesley Chapel resident will hold two master’s degrees from UT by the time he graduates in December.Rubin is interested in working with a biotechnology start-up company, but he had no luck at the job fair and has found no luck elsewhere in the region. ”I’m thinking I might have to move out of state,” he said.

This kind of situation excites me for the future that goegghead has in the struggling job market. Our unique services will not only help these students but also companies feeling the economic crunch. My thinking is when the going gets tough get creative, and that is what goegghead is doing for you

 

Seniors assess job market

Friday, October 10th, 2008 | Goegghead | 43 Comments

This is a great article that was posted by an on campus newspaper in New Jersey. It really helps to get the true feeling of college seniors entering the work force. The different challenges and obstacles they face. 
Seniors assess job market 

By Jeffrey Roman 9/10/08

The year is 2008, and the job market is not what it used to be. What was once a land of opportunity is now a land of intense competition and a never-ending slew of layoffs. The U.S. economy is shaky, and with the upcoming presidential election growing closer, the worries and concerns grow more real for the future of America’s new job seekers.

As anxious seniors prepare to leave the College to embark on either graduate studies or their first jobs, they need to understand the market they’re entering. The current state of the economy is very competitive, making hard work and credentials all the more imperative when searching for that first taste of real-life employment. 
And that first taste might not be the greatest, seeing as companies are cutting back benefits, leaving students without services like health insurance. This becomes a concern when finding the right employer and searching for a job that will actually “secure” you. Nina Morski, senior business management major, has felt the fear of leaving the College and moving on to the real world. 
“I have been quite worried about the job market,” Morski said. “My biggest fear is really the lack of health insurance upon graduation, as well as my looming student loans. However, I have been fortunate enough to be given opportunities to prove myself in the workforce, and I worked really hard in my internships.”
While at the College, students have many opportunities to gain experience and the tools they need to succeed in the world. From internships to on-campus employment, there is something for everyone to do and a way to get recognized for it.

For Morski, being involved with the community has really given her some meaningful experience.

“I have worked as a Community Advisor for three years,” she said. “The experience and training I have had during that time has really prepared me for anything life can throw at me.”
For those worrying about the market and how to actually make a go of it, gaining experience in a field of interest is the most important first step. Utilizing internships can go a long way toward finding the right employer, receiving connections and proving one’s self.
The College has taken the responsibility of assisting seniors seriously with the department of Career Services. Heading over there can be the first step to a successful career. The department helps in setting students up with internships and possible employers, providing guidance every step of the way. 
Aside from coordinating internships, Career Services also takes statistics of each year’s graduating class and how they’ve fared in finding jobs. 
Sarah Schmidt, graduate counselor education major and office assistant for Career Services, was optimistic about the office’s results. “The numbers have gone up for people getting jobs from last year,” Schmidt said. “Career Services is very useful with helping students find jobs.”
That knowledge certainly takes some of the worry away from those seniors starting to feel the pressures of graduation, but doesn’t mean the road to success isn’t rough. But what are students planning on doing after college?

Advice for College Graduates

Thursday, September 18th, 2008 | Goegghead | No Comments

I am going to send a little shout out to Donald Trump for taking some time and letting college kids in on his outlook on the current job market. So to all you Apprentice fans here is some advice.
Advice for College Graduates
With today’s terrible economy, job news is miserable everywhere. It’s no surprise that over the past few years, college graduates each June haven’t been very lucky once they’ve picked up their diplomas and headed out into the real world. They’ve been faced with a tough job market, low salaries and lots of frustration.
Surprisingly, however, the Class of 2008 is stepping out into a great job situation. This is the healthiest job market in three years, with employers planning to hire 16 percent more new college graduates this year than they did last year.
Hiring projections for new graduates are strong across the board - regardless of industry, economic sector, or geographic region. So no matter what your major or where you want to live, you should get a welcome reception if you have good grades and a decent resume. Even sweeter, more than half of employers say they’ll be offering hiring bonuses to potential new employees to make their deals even more attractive.
Finally, some good news in this recession.Good luck, graduates. Get out there and sell yourself so soon you’ll hear, “You’re hired!”
Donald J. Trump is Chairman of Trump University.

Job Market Blues

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008 | Goegghead | No Comments

This week the financial market took a major hit with the announcement of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers and the buyout of Merrill Lynch. These large and powerful companies have had a major influence on the financial markets for many years. What this has done is created a large work base that now is either out of a job or will be out of a job shortly. An article I found in the  International Herald Tribune stated, “ headhunters and consultants said the U.S. financial services sector, already suffering from a glut of unemployed talent after shedding more than 100,000 jobs this year, must now brace for as many as 50,000 more.” So then with this burden now on the U.S. job market it becomes important that something be on the academic level to combat the market. I feel that these changes need to be taken not as a quick response to an already struggling market, but to create change for future struggles. So I have developed a few things I feel would be beneficial for a college student to be the best prepared for this problems. 
1. Consider majors that are not related to what you want to do
One problem that students face is that they feel that they have to be a business major to be in business and so on. From what I have seen personally it really doesn’t matter what your degree was, unless you are going into something like computer programing or something like that. All you really need to have is an ability to adapt and not be afraid of trying new things. So if your passion is music, or math, be a math major. What this will allow you to do is not only be different then the other applicants but also to have a different perspective then what may currently exist in the area you desire to go into. 
2. Take classes that are problem based like biology and chemistry
Now this is kind of biased because I am a biology major. The reason that I mention this is because the more problem based classes you can take the better you will be able to work through problems on your own and not just go to some book and look it up. In these classes you will be using knowledge and skills in ways you never thought. So what do markovnikov reactions have to do with business and solving problems, well, take an organic chemistry class and you will find out for yourself. 
3. Create skills that will make you unique 
The best way for you to not fell lost during times of economic stress is to be knowledgeable in a skill that is not related to what you do. Some examples would be knowledge in PHP or accounting or even carpentry. You never know when you may have to make a career change. I bet the people at Lehman Brother never thought that they would be looking for jobs either. So to prevent this you can take classes in areas that will give you experience for times like now. It is easier now to get a certificate in accounting while you have unlimited resources at your institutions and time during your college years. This approach is better then being 20 years out of college trying to take a different career path. Take steps now to insure that in the case of an emergency you have alternatives in place. 
4. Prepare for the future by becoming ready today
Don’t procrastinate what you think you can take care of today. Don’t feel like “man when I get that new job I will totally be able to get what I want and live like a king.” Well although you may have more money then you ever have, live like you don’t. Now I am not saying live on rags, but try and live as close to how you were living before you came into a job with money. You were probably sufficiently happy before you had the money, so technically you don’t need the extra money to be happy. My advice would be to just save whatever extra you make and start putting it away for rainy days. Who knows if in the future your job falls out from under you and you have to relay on that blanket of money you have established. It will be very tempting along the way to say,”man I would really like…” but just think that as you keep discipline along the way you will more then likely benefit in the future. 
So to wrap this all up, I would suggest that instead of waiting for the market to get better or for the universities to change their curriculum, take the bull by the horns and make it happen. 

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Shaky Economy Awaits College Graduates

Friday, September 12th, 2008 | Goegghead | 1 Comment

Thinktank

Friday, August 22nd, 2008 | Goegghead | No Comments

At Goegghead being concerned with your future also makes us concerned about world affairs; specifically the changing United States economy.

Goegghead researchers are constantly at work to develop new technologies, bringing them into the career service marketplace. We are also constantly analyzing varying sources of data from around the world to make the best predictions that can impact your future.

If the last ten years has taught us anything it is that consumers want their life personalized to represent their unique characteristics. This is why at Goegghead we follow the rule that the best way to find out what people want is to ask those we want to help.

So what do you want in an online career service provider? What would you do to simplify the interview process? What would you change about your universities career service center? Heck, what is your favorite movie? Mine is anything that Chuck Norris is in but the point is we want your help. We know you know best and you can help us make the employment search simpler for you.

In the coming weeks this blog will post a host of different blog entries asking your opinions on interview practices, the current employment market, and certain hiring strategies that we are developing. Please post responses to help us work out the bugs. We are close to launching Goegghead and you are an integral part of it.

Regards,

Goegghead

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GOEGGHEAD

Thursday, August 21st, 2008 | Goegghead | No Comments

Welcome to The Egghead Insider! This blog to let you know the day-to-day activities and inside perspective of Egghead Intensity’s ventures. This perspective is brought to you by the CEO of the company and there will be many guest posts from the other founders providing guidance to other entrepreneurs or people in this industry. Please let us know if you have any questions that you would like us to answer or types of articles you would like to read. We look forward to hearing from all of you so please do as Dr. Seuss says and “say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” But in all seriousness, we appreciate any comments or ideas that come our way!

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Mission Statement

Our goal at goegghead.com is to carry the job search industry to a new level. We accomplish this by developing technologies that assist job seekers in reaching their potential and help businesses become more effective in acquiring qualified candidates. Goegghead, through its innovative services and technologies, takes job searching and job recruiting to where it should be.