by Michele O’Connor

‘Karma’ is an amazing thing. For the devout Hindu & Buddhist, it means that your actions directly affect your fate. For the lay person, it is a term commonly used to describe that good things happen to good people. In either scenario we often refer to “Paying it Forward” as a term to describe the same thing - that helping others creates a positive force that comes back to you in different ways.

In terms of careers, people tend to get so wrapped up in the job search process that they lose site of other aspects of their life. By “paying it forward” we recommend that people apply an altruistic dimension to their current state of flux. We often hear from clients that blending altruism & philanthropy with their ongoing routine dramatically improves their network - ultimately securing a job. In addition, building friendships with people that share the same philanthropic interests is great for personal development and lifestyle balance.

Food for thought (-:

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs.com is a free web-based employment service for students & alumni. We connect job seekers to employers via schools, alma maters and civic organizations throughout North America. This model delivers a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. 100% spam-free. The #1 Job Site on the Web!

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

by Michele O’Connor

This is an interesting article from CNN Money that appeared last week.

Out-of-work job applicants told unemployed need not apply

The last thing someone who is unemployed needs to be told is that they shouldn’t even apply for the limited number of job openings that are available. But some companies and recruiters are doing just that.

Employment experts say they believe companies are increasingly interested only in applicants who already have a job.

“I think it is more prevalent than it used to be,” said Rich Thompson, vice president of learning and performance for Adecco Group North America, the world’s largest staffing firm. “I don’t have hard numbers, but three out of the last four conversations I’ve had about openings, this requirement was brought up.”

Some job postings include restrictions such as “unemployed candidates will not be considered” or “must be currently employed.” Those explicit limitations have occasionally been removed from listings when an employer or recruiter is questioned by the media though.

That’s what happened with numerous listings for grocery store managers throughout the Southeast posted by a South Carolina recruiter, Latro Consulting.

After CNNMoney called seeking comments on the listings last week, the restriction against unemployed candidates being considered came down. Latro Consulting refused to comment when contacted.

Sony Ericsson, a global phone manufacturer that was hiring for a new Georgia facility, also removed a similar restriction after local reporters wrote about it. According to reports, a Sony Ericsson spokesperson said that a mistake had been made.

But even if companies don’t spell out in a job listing that they won’t consider someone who currently doesn’t have a job, experts said that unemployed applicants are typically ruled out right off the bat.

Read the entire article by clicking here

By Jennifer Porter

GoliathJobs & JobsOver50 were featured in the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday June 16, 2010. Article titled “Making the Leap to the Big Leaques.”

Making the Leap to the Big Leagues

As Hiring Picks Up, Employees at Small Companies Look for Work at Large Firms

By JONNELLE MARTE

As big firms cut back during the recession, many professionals found work at small companies. For college grads, small firms became the most promising way to launch a career.

But as hiring picks up again, some of those professionals are looking to break into larger companies, seeking the stability, benefits and resources not always available at small firms.

And while recruiters and hiring managers perusing the résumés of job hunters with small-company experience won’t experience the sort of instant name recognition they might with résumés of candidates from big companies, experts say the multitasking skills and self-starter attitude common among small- firm employees can make a job seeker attractive.

“Hiring managers are looking for people with experience from smaller companies … because those candidates tend to think out of the box,” says David Mezzapelle, director of marketing and development for GoliathJobs Inc. a Web-based employment firm in Stamford, Conn.

On job sites GoliathJobs.com and JobsOver50.com, some 5,000 job seekers with profiles indicating they worked at small firms—those with fewer than 500 employees—used the sites to apply for jobs with larger companies in the first quarter.

Luicila Torres left her job as a marketing representative with a national home health agency in October to work at a similar, but smaller agency in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. She made the move so she could take charge of a broader territory and get exposure to other parts of the business. She later worked briefly for a small durable medical-equipment company, but was laid off after two months because the company was struggling financially. Now Ms. Torres says she wants to work for a larger, more stable employer.

On her résumé and in interviews, Ms. Torres, 36, is touting the skills she picked up while wearing several hats at the smaller companies. Among them: She learned to market many brands in a larger territory and was involved in sales, billing and business development. “It did help me learn other aspects of the business,” she says, and although she hasn’t received an offer yet, she says interviewers appear impressed by the diversity in responsibilities.

Career coaches regularly encourage job seekers hoping to break into a larger company to market their small-firm experience by emphasizing the various roles they took on.

Read the entire article by clicking here.

Copyright ©2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.

by Michele O’Connor

EVENTS

Mature Worker Employment Webinar

This webinar is hosted by David Mezzapelle, Marketing Director at JobsOver50. JobsOver50 offers dedicated Mature Worker Employment Portals branded & customized for WIBS and other civic organizations throughout the United States. These portals are simple, yet powerful, and include all the features necessary to connect employers with mature workers in your region. Timing is important not only because of the volume of candidates out-of-work but also because there are several grants, such as SCSEP, available for programs such as these. David will walk attendees through the features of the site and answer any questions you may have.

The webinars are scheduled for the first Friday of every month at 11:00 AM EST for 30 minutes.

June 4
July 2
August 6
September 3
October 1
November 5
December 3

In order to attend, please email moconnor@jobsover50.com up to 24 hours prior to the event with your full name, organization name, and phone number. Upon approval, we will send you a link and conference call instructions.

JobsOver50.com - Building Employment Portals for Mature Workers

JobsOver50.com is a free web-based employment service for Baby Boomers & Retirees. We create partnerships with public & private workforce development organizations, schools, career one-stops and more throughout North America. This unique model delivers powerful results significantly improving workforce development in any region!

…a Goliath-SilverCensus Company

by Michele O’Connor

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Professional Development Initiative Announced for Career and Life Transition Coaches

Boomer Authority and JobsOver50 today announced a strategic alliance with ReCareer Inc. to become a “Career Advantage Partner” and provider of professional development education and training.

ReCareer Inc. will offer its proprietary professional development curriculum to men and women seeking to advance their bonafides in the coaching profession and to secure a significant point of differentiation as a Career and/or Life Coaching Authority.

Coaches that complete the Recareer professional development program conducted by nationally acclaimed author and lecturer, Dr. Richard Johnson, Ph.D, are automatically eligible to become a “Certified JobsOver50-Boomer Authority Career Coach.” Dr. Johnson will also serve on the credentials oversight committee.

ReCareer enrollment details can be found HERE.

Full details on the benefits of becoming a Certified JobsOver50-Boomer Authority Career Coach can be found HERE.

About JobsOver50.com
JobsOver50, a free web-based employment service for Baby Boomers & Retirees, is also the “Official Career Center” for Boomer Authority™. We understand the employment needs of 50+ job seekers and have built this unique powerful service to support them.
JobsOver50 is a proud member of the GoliathJobs Network, the #1 employment service on the Web!

About Boomer Authority Association
Boomer Authority has 1270+ members as is the only global association of its kind, bringing together men and women from 23 countries and from every professional discipline serving and fulfilling the needs of the 50+ Baby Boomer demographic.
Members comprise encore career experts, midlife transition coaches, eldercare experts, estate planning legal counselors, retirement/financial planners, gentrologists, educators, and literally dozens of other professions.

About ReCareer Inc.
ReCareer Inc. offers a new direction for career coaching in our changing economy. With over 6 million Americans left jobless this year alone “Recareering” is quickly becoming a household term. ReCareer Inc. has developed the only assessment-based coach training program to aid these millions of adults in the second half of life in their ReCareer search.