- Sell Stuff - you don't have to watch PBS Antique Roadshow or History Channels Paws Stars long to realize that people pay big money for things many of us think are worthless. Antiques, electronics, and collectibles sell very well and chances are you have some of this around your house or apartment right now. You can use 'free' outlets like Craigslist and Garage Sales to move your items, but many people use online places like eBay and Amazon to sell things as well.
Some items that sell well online: Video Games & Systems, Designer Clothing, Shoes & Handbags, Vintage Antiques & Collectibles, TV's, DVD's, Exercise Equipment and much more. If you spend just a small amount of time listing your items - you are bound to get some extra cash for things you probably aren't using much anyway.
- Get Creative With Your Job Search - Spend all day on Facebook or Twitter? Do you know your city like no one else in town? Maybe you spend all day talking on the phone ... chances are you have 'skills' that you don't even consider trying to make a career out of. Many people apply for jobs based on what education they have and experience ... not what they are passionate about or what they enjoy doing the most. You'd be amazed at the businesses that need help with Facebook, Twitter and getting 'recognized' on the web. All you need to do is use your knowledge of building a network on those sites and apply those to a business that needs 1,000 friends or followers. Most places that offer this service are not located in the Valley, so going door to door would help you market your skills to businesses in your area. Most companies have a need for promotion and marketing, but no one ever comes to their door and sells them on it. Creating your own 'small business' could be as simple as creating Facebook and Twitter pages for local companies.
- Go back to school. Especially if you have never gone to college, or finished High School. If you are the first person from your family to go to college and you need financial aide - its almost 100% available in this case. Most other people can find scholarships, loans or financial aide/work study to help pay. The cost of going to school should never keep you from going. If you haven't found a job in several months (while applying for jobs/interviews) its a sign that your skills are not attractive enough to employers. Going to school is the best way to improve your skills and raise your pay when you find a job that hires you.
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
No Luck Finding A Job? Here Are 3 Things To Help
Monday, February 7, 2011
Getting An Education Is A Must In Today's Highly Competitive Job Market
The national unemployment rate dropped again to below 10%, however valley cities still see higher rates that aren't dropping as fast as the national average. The national average could be skewed a bit as well, because people may not be filing for unemployment benefits after they expire or run out. Many people have still been looking for a job for a long time, especially the under skilled and under educated Californians.
While the worst seems to behind many companies and the economy, many workers still are having trouble finding work. Some people have become frustrated finding new positions, or they simply have adjusted to living on a lower budget. The Valley offers some good education opportunities on a low budget, most notably Delta Community College in Stockton and Modesto Junior College in Modesto, CA. These junior colleges offer a wide range of classes at little to no cost to anyone in the community willing to apply. Many students have taken advantage of the classes during this time when they can't find regular work. Valley employers are going to be interested to see what potential employees did during the tough economic times of 2008 until today. If you show no effort in developing your education or finding temporary work - other candidates that did will get opportunities.
The fact that the unemployment numbers are going down doesn't mean that jobs of all kinds are going to be steadily coming onto the job market. Mid-size and small companies are looking for more talented workers, who are expected to work longer and do more on the job. Many companies are running lean operations, leading to people doing multiple jobs usually handled by more employees. There is no guarantee that these companies will hire at the 'low-skill' or part time level. Its possible that the job pool remains high enough that over educated and over qualified people are still applying to low level part time positions in Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Tracy and all the smaller cities in the 209 valley, therefore leading the under educated to less job opportunities than in years past.
When times are tough like they are now, people often take jobs that are 'below' them under normal economic situations. Working at fast food places like McDonalds or Pizza Hut weren't the first choice of many people unemployed, but if you have been out of work for months its your only option. The bottom line for Valley residents is that part time and low skill jobs will be tough to find even when the economy is starting to make comebacks in 2011. Most jobs draw 50+ applicants, where some are often over qualified and this trend doesn't seem to be slowing down. The amount of people graduating from college and junior college still remains high, so its important to understand that you will need to compete with an even more educated and more motivated employee to get the jobs you want.
Smaller towns in the valley will have some temporary positions, as the local economy doesn't lead to higher tech (higher paying) positions. There are some small businesses in Turlock that are hiring and even places in Lodi CA that are hiring because these local communities still have some people taking advantage of the reduced competition in the marketplace. Larger valley cities like Stockton CA has companies hiring at a higher education level because of the size of the population and the fact that University of the Pacific and Delta College has been producing graduates that stimulate the area for decades. The breadth of jobs available will be larger in Modesto, Stockton, Tracy and Merced - just based on the population size and needs. However, remember that often leads to a higher cost of living compared to other smaller towns because of the options that are available to the consumers. You might make more money in Stockton, but you'll probably spend less if you lived in Lodi ... but that's probably debatable.
Bottom line is that people are still graduating from school at the same rates or higher than before the economy when into a tailspin in 2008. With all those jobs lost - most are going to be filled by educated individuals for many years before people with just a high-school diploma or less will be able to find work on a regular basis. If you haven't taken any college level courses, or haven't thought about it, now is the time.
While the worst seems to behind many companies and the economy, many workers still are having trouble finding work. Some people have become frustrated finding new positions, or they simply have adjusted to living on a lower budget. The Valley offers some good education opportunities on a low budget, most notably Delta Community College in Stockton and Modesto Junior College in Modesto, CA. These junior colleges offer a wide range of classes at little to no cost to anyone in the community willing to apply. Many students have taken advantage of the classes during this time when they can't find regular work. Valley employers are going to be interested to see what potential employees did during the tough economic times of 2008 until today. If you show no effort in developing your education or finding temporary work - other candidates that did will get opportunities.
The fact that the unemployment numbers are going down doesn't mean that jobs of all kinds are going to be steadily coming onto the job market. Mid-size and small companies are looking for more talented workers, who are expected to work longer and do more on the job. Many companies are running lean operations, leading to people doing multiple jobs usually handled by more employees. There is no guarantee that these companies will hire at the 'low-skill' or part time level. Its possible that the job pool remains high enough that over educated and over qualified people are still applying to low level part time positions in Stockton, Modesto, Merced, Tracy and all the smaller cities in the 209 valley, therefore leading the under educated to less job opportunities than in years past.
When times are tough like they are now, people often take jobs that are 'below' them under normal economic situations. Working at fast food places like McDonalds or Pizza Hut weren't the first choice of many people unemployed, but if you have been out of work for months its your only option. The bottom line for Valley residents is that part time and low skill jobs will be tough to find even when the economy is starting to make comebacks in 2011. Most jobs draw 50+ applicants, where some are often over qualified and this trend doesn't seem to be slowing down. The amount of people graduating from college and junior college still remains high, so its important to understand that you will need to compete with an even more educated and more motivated employee to get the jobs you want.
Smaller towns in the valley will have some temporary positions, as the local economy doesn't lead to higher tech (higher paying) positions. There are some small businesses in Turlock that are hiring and even places in Lodi CA that are hiring because these local communities still have some people taking advantage of the reduced competition in the marketplace. Larger valley cities like Stockton CA has companies hiring at a higher education level because of the size of the population and the fact that University of the Pacific and Delta College has been producing graduates that stimulate the area for decades. The breadth of jobs available will be larger in Modesto, Stockton, Tracy and Merced - just based on the population size and needs. However, remember that often leads to a higher cost of living compared to other smaller towns because of the options that are available to the consumers. You might make more money in Stockton, but you'll probably spend less if you lived in Lodi ... but that's probably debatable.
Bottom line is that people are still graduating from school at the same rates or higher than before the economy when into a tailspin in 2008. With all those jobs lost - most are going to be filled by educated individuals for many years before people with just a high-school diploma or less will be able to find work on a regular basis. If you haven't taken any college level courses, or haven't thought about it, now is the time.
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