Job Searching During The Holidays

Writen by William Werksman

A common misperception on the part of job seekers is that the holidays are a poor time for job hunting prospects. As a professional recruiter, here are three reasons why the holiday period is in fact an excellent time to seek a new opportunity:

1. New budgets generally call for hiring additional resources. The budgeting process for the coming year generally takes place the final quarter of the year. With new business strategies mapped out, senior management aggressively begin to look for prime talent. This is an excellent chance for candidates to passively market themselves through networked contacts or recruiters. Make yourself available for coffee, lunch or an after hours meeting to discuss possible opportunities and sell yourself to prospective employers.

2. Holiday parties present exceptional networking opportunities. Traditionally, we are taught not to mix business with pleasure. But, in today's competitive employment market, we counsel candidates to do just the opposite. Holiday office parties are an excellent chance to network with other internal department heads, outside vendors, and even specific competitors. These settings are an excellent chance to meet and greet people and thus expand your network.

3. Create momentum going into the New Year. Above all else, job searching is a mentally taxing task. You alone are responsible for putting yourself in a position to succeed. Part of that process is staying motivated to completing the task. The holiday period is an excellent chance to create positive momentum for your job search both now and going into the New Year. Tune up and revamp that resume, calls network contacts to wish them Happy Holidays (and stay on their radar), and meet and greet new people at networking events. Positive thoughts and actions today will create positive momentum in the future for your job search.

Don't let this holiday period catch you unprepared. While others are busy shopping at the malls, take advantage of this opportunity to advance your career for today and tomorrow.

Executive recruiter William Werksman is a frequent columnist to job boards including http://www.NevadaJobBoard.com addressing both the candidate's and employer's perspective. Werksman's expertise has been featured in business magazines, national newspapers and television news segments. His firm, Resource Partners, is recognized as the leading source of specialized and executive talent in the Casino and Gaming industry. He manages a staff of recruiters out of his firm's Las Vegas, Nevada headquarters. He may be reached at: Bill@CareerInsider.com

American Workforce Do They Lack Work Ethic

Writen by Lance Winslow

Many employees do not wish to work hard; some are disillusioned and others feel the pay and benefits are substandard. Indeed although the unemployment is below 5% some feel that they are under employed. Some employees feel that the illegal immigrants have driven down pay and benefits in America.

All this may be components of the issue and whereas it is not a simple issue, there is more too it, as some believe that the American work force lacks ethics. Many business owners often complain about this fact. And although it is not all workers it is an ever growing percentage of the over all work force. Personally, I have done business in 4-countries, set up franchises in 123 cities and 23 states. I have also been to every city in the United States over 10,000 population and talked with workers, middle managers, executives and run companies and had franchisee team meetings, over saw operations and did many sneak checks. We have had franchisees come from other companies to work with us from all sets of blue and white collar. And from what I can tell there are some issues work ethic in the United States.

Here is a summary of a conversation with a striking Boeing Company worker not too long ago and you can see there are two-sides to each issue.

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Some workers complain that they do not make enough each month to pay the bills and this is why they do not feel they should have to work hard. However true this maybe I have to ask; What does honesty and work ethic have to do with pay? If you promise when hired to do your best and compete for that job, you ought to hold up your word once you get the job. Otherwise you lack integrity, that is dishonest and no excuse can be made for failure to make good on that promise when you got hired in the first place. When we discuss this topic of work ethic, we must consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow