MyJobSearcher.com

Chicagoland, North West Indiana entertainment company needs workers!

My client can’t find enough help. Looking for bartenders, cocktail servers, buffet servers, prep cooks, and general kitchen utility workers.

On-site or at our events, this action packed atmosphere features buffets, hors devours service, and family style banquets. Bring your A-game, minimum experience REQUIRED.

Indiana liquor serving permit required.

Man the bar! Bar tenders, mixologists and cocktail connoisseurs. If you think you can pour a drink submit a resume!

Dress code requirements differ depending on location.

Great part-time work, competitive wages and tips!

· Bartenders  $10/hour + tips
· Servers  $10/hour + tips
· Prep Cooks  $10/hour
· Kitchen Utility  $9/hour

Apply online or in person.

Online:
Follow the link below. Login to MyJobSearcher.com or create an account.
http://www.myjobsearcher.com
Apply to this position:
http://www.myjobsearcher.com/jobs/view_posting_detail.php?ID=349

In person:
Call Cris Geeve to schedule in person application at (219) 989-9675.

A Facebook profile created specifically to attract employers? Let’s imagine it. If job seekers could be certain that HR managers were browsing Facebook accounts as extended background checks, what kind of virtuous profiles would they create to cater toward employment?

Name: James “Jim” Thompson

Interests: punctuality, flexibility, unreformed workaholism

Activities: hitting the sack by 9pm, reaching spiritual divinity—typing 75+ wpm, jumping when my family or employers call.

Of course, the only photos posted would be of Jim embracing his wife and four daughters, Jim concentrating fiercely at his cubicle, Jim happily swamped with paperwork, and Jim slugging a baseball above a caption that reads, “Our most stalwart volunteer, Jim, bats like a pro for charity.” Un-tagged: Jim at friend’s 40th birthday party, in which he was either dumbly smirking (with face value IQ of 70), or nearly passed out at the table, less than executive material after a few rounds of shots.

It seems logical to assume job applicants would either edit their profiles if they knew potential employers were looking at them, or they would utilize the privacy settings on the social networking site.  But has our casual distribution of personal information lead to an indifferent attitude about what we allow people to know about us?  If everyone else is doing it, it becomes informal and easy; we’re more willing to share. Facebook is heavily slanted toward what we do in our personal time, which is normally not the business of our employers. But if it’s on the internet, it becomes everybody’s business.

Employers and staffing professionals have the right to look at information that is laid out for them.  It’s like evidence presented at a trial.  Everything is fair game, and each juror must decide for him/herself what the evidence suggests about the defendant.  Of course, it’s the juror’s responsibility to remain objective, just as an employer cannot discriminate based on items such as political views, sexual orientation, or religion.  Still, it’s human nature for a person to develop a fondness for another individual with a similar background or similar attitudes, or vice versa; develop an indifference or aversion toward someone who holds much different beliefs.

In a professional setting, an employee might be taken aback if a supervisor asked questions about one of the aforementioned items. “That’s none of your business! If I can do the job well, what does it matter who I voted for in the 2008 election?” On Facebook, this information is often readily available, and the emotional ties associated with controversial topics may erupt and ruin the prospects of professionalism.

What if Mr. James “Jim” Thompson, unconcerned with lurkers, had left his personal Facebook page open for anyone to see?  Consider this very honest exchange between hiring manager and job seeker:

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Despite your flawless resume, impressive qualifications, affable demeanor, and graceful conversational ability, we regret to inform you, you have been denied the position. To be very frank, I was very put off by that picture of you wearing a skirt on Halloween. At your age, shouldn’t you be more concentrated on making the holiday a good time for the kids?  Where were they anyway?  You mention them in your profile, but I see them nowhere in the Halloween album. Perhaps this is a bit biased of me, but this information has tainted the way I see you professionally.

In addition, it sort of bothers me that some of your female friends leave suggestive comments on your wall, yet you claim to be a happily married man. I just don’t think you are trustworthy to hold the esteemed position of Head Data Analyst at our firm.

And what do you mean by “minimalist interior design” as a religious view?  Are you mocking those of us who are religious?

Thank you for your time and effort, but it would have been better if you’d kept your personal information private.

Sincerely,

Disturbed Hiring Manager

Dear Disturbed Hiring Manager,

I’m sorry you feel that I am not the right fit for this position, but it seems you’ve misjudged me.  The conclusions you made were at face value, and my individual personality and work ethic are much more complex than that.

My wife, Janelle, and I, asked her sister to take care of the kids on Halloween.  We are a family of six, and it doesn’t always give me and Janelle much time to spend together.  We decided to dress up, because, yes, even at our age, we like to have fun.  I am strictly professional in the office, and any “wild behavior” that you detect in these pictures can only be translated as open-mindedness and a thirst for adventure.  In a professional setting, these traits would allow me to be cooperative with my co-workers and accept challenging assignments that other people wouldn’t dare take.

I don’t understand what you mean by “suggestive” comments.  My wife, though she prefers not to maintain a Facebook profile, looks at my own information all the time.  She has not had any trouble with the comments that were posted on my wall. I said I was a happily married man, and I continue to be.

I apologize if you took offense to my “religious” preference.  Though I am a very spiritual person, I choose not to practice a religion.  I am, however, very interested in interior design, especially modern minimalism.  I thought my remark was appropriate given my religious-like devotion to this art form.  I enjoy learning about other religions, and would certainly never mock you for being a devout anything.

It is very unfortunate that you stumbled upon my profile on a social networking site, but how can I say you are out of line for browsing the information?  This is just a consequence of the times in which we live. Please accept this letter as a more accurate representation of my potential contribution to your firm.

Sincerely,

The Once-Revered James Thompson

PS.  I’ve just made my Facebook visible to my friends only.  Thanks for the tip.

In the dark? Billions of dollars were doled out under the economic stimulus umbrella. Yet the question remains. When do dollars translate to jobs?

Unemployment rates continue to rise with over 500,000 jobs lost in the month of May. Of those unemployed 21% have been out of work for at least 15 weeks. People need work, and a paycheck.

Approaching or continuing your job search leaves some questions to be answered. Where to look next? Do I start asking for less money? How can I standout as more and more people are looking for work?

Simply looking to whether the economic storm? Diversify. Working in industries that are new to you might offer more success in a bad economy. Find out what industries are doing best and look for work there.

Leisure and hospitality, education, and health services faired the best employment rates as unemployment climbed from 8.9% in April to 9.4% in May.

If you plan to fish it’s worth being sure there is something in the pond. Being an experienced professional and having a desire to continue along your established career path can make a layoff more difficult. It’s worth knowing what you’re up against. The most jobs lost in May: Manufacturing 156,000, construction 59,000, and professional and business services 51,000.

If your industry is fairing worse than others as you look for work preparation and informed tactics are a must have. With over 500,000 jobs lost in April one question job seekers are asking is, do I ask for less money? As an established professional you are already attune to salary levels and compensation structure in your industry. And if you are approaching a field of work new to you, be sure to do your research. Asking for less money can make a statement about your value as an employee that you would want to avoid I am less valuable.

Continue to treat inquiries for salary requirements as usual. This may not be the time to look for a raise but give an honest salary history and agreeable compensation can be settled after the position has been offered.

Increasing joblessness brings employers one blessing, an ever-increasing pool of candidates. Job seekers need strategy to rise to the top.

Resumes should constantly be reevaluated. We all reach a point where we feel our resume is complete. This is the ideal time to share your resume with friends, family and trusted colleagues. Ask this group to look for specific things, a critique on content for example. Verbiage choice, tone and voice can all be examined and constantly refined.

Your resumes aesthetics are just as important. Using Microsoft Word has limits. Template programs, no matter how expensive they are deliver one thing, a template resume.

Consider Adobe Illustrator as an alternative solution to creating a resume that stands out. The program consists of a series of tools allowing you to create a visual presence free from template. Use unique but subtle color. Find fonts that are not only different but extend your personality. Choose a layout that best features your credentials, rather than force fitting them into a template.

Your end goal should be to create a resume that is well written, visually pleasing, and stands out as an extension of your personality. Once taken care of a few other tactics can aid the job search.

Let people know that you are unemployed. Sounds strange? Letting friends, family and colleagues know that you have lost your job can work to your advantage.

Often, job openings are spread through social and professional circles well before they are ever publicized. Simply informing others of your employment situation may lead you to positions that have yet to be advertised, allowing you to enter the candidate pool early.

Consider further publicizing your unemployment. Blogs are becoming increasingly popular and using them to document your job search can be advantageous. A blog presents you with the opportunity to write relevant articles offering your knowledge of an industry, demonstrates to employers that you are constructively using the time your unemployment has afforded, while also presenting an opportunity to publicize your credentials. Visit Brittany Ward’s blog for an example of constructively blogging your unemployment.

Professional events are another venue you should plug yourself into when looking for work. Meetup.com and LinkedIn.com offer an endless number of groups and professional events in nearby areas. Professional events allow you to meet more people working in your field, increasing your professional network and potentially clue you into career opportunities.

With economic stimulus uncertainties, increasing unemployment and a growing need to find work it’s necessary to make every effort to win over employers. Tact and attitude can be your most valuable tools when approaching these difficult times. Periodically reevaluate your resume, confront unemployment with proactive networking and lend attention to what industries are fairing best.

Help choose our next logo. Eleven logos to choose from, only one winner. Tell us what you think, review the logos, vote and share your thoughts. Click the image to have a closer look. What are you thinking? We would love to know…so tell us below, why you voted for which entry.

 Put your best face forward…good advice when engaging the job hunt, interviewing for a promotion or exuding plain old good demeanor. We don’t issue advice unless we practice it ourselves. With that said, MyJobSearcher is looking for the right logo to send forward as the face of the best place candidates and employers come to connect online. Your input means the world to us, and for sharing it we say THANK YOU!

As a successful approach to clearing congested city streets and improve public transportation, congestion-pricing is a panacea many big cities are considering to cure infrastructure ailments. Find out more about congestion-pricing and how it might affect you. 

Ticket to Ride

April 13, 2009 by: Morgan Clendaniel GOOD Magazine

How to appease the interest groups keeping congestion pricing from our cities.

In 2003, London enacted a congestion-pricing plan that charged motorists about $11 to drive into various zones in the city center. The successful implementation of congestion pricing in a major urban area only further emboldened supporters of the concept, who have long argued that congestion pricing is the simplest and most effective way to limit the number of cars in urban settings, thus reducing emissions, fuel use, and traffic.

In 2007, New York City’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, announced that he wanted to implement congestion pricing in New York. It was to work like this: Drivers in Manhattan below 60th Street would have to pay $8; commercial drivers would pay $21; taxi passengers would pay $1. (Tolls from bridges or tunnels to and from the pricing zone would be subtracted from the fee.) The revenue would be used to improve the city’s public-transit infrastructure, and the decrease in traffic could contribute up to $13 billion in saved costs to businesses…read more at GoodIs 

Walking down memory lane and watching Perry Mason may cause you to think that Della Reed was indispensable to Perry Mason.  That girl could work!  She was absolutely dependable, knew what her boss wanted before he knew, smiled at the right time, remained quiet when required, always brought just the right document to court at the very moment Perry needed it. Available all hours of the night or day.  She even traveled when required and she never let her personal life get in the way of her job!  Poor Della remained the dedicated spinster secretary to Perry all the way into the 80’s. Let’s face it, Perry would have been nothing without her!

Guess what:  she was still subject to dispensability!  And Perry would have carried on without her.  He’d have found himself a new Della, a gal with all the right moves at all the right times, who was just as much the super legal secretary that Della was.

So why didn’t he?  Because Della knew that she could be replaced.  She never put on airs, acted like the company would fall apart without her or put others in a position of thinking that if it weren’t for her, they would have no job. Not only was Della the perfect employee, she knew never to let her knowledge of her perfection go to her head and become apparent to her boss!  She never lost sight of the fact that no matter how good she was, she was dispensable.

Thus the secret to truly being “indispensable” lies in being able to recognize that you are not indispensable.

You want to keep your job, right?  Then operate from the viewpoint that your job matters, your boss matters, and your co-workers matter.

Never operate from the viewpoint that the place will fall apart without you, or that nobody else can do what you do, or that the whole office is in motion because of you.  There’s nothing a boss or co-worker hates more than that type of attitude!  Interestingly, it is the attitude like this one that also shows just how dispensable you are.

Never lose sight of the fact that the office was running before you arrived, it was running while you were there, and it will continue to run after you are gone.  Sure, there may be a few bumps in the road after you leave, and there may have been a few bumps in the road before you arrived, we are not trying to discredit the work you do or the value that you are to the company.

We just don’t want you making the mistake of letting it go to your head, thus causing your overall value and worth to the company to be jeopardized.  Never forget that your indispensability lies in knowing that you are not indispensable!

Terms:

indispensable – absolutely necessary, essential

dispensable – not necessary or essential

You are not indispensable – a phrase that employees will sometimes hear from a manager, co-worker or owner indicating that they are not essential to the company.

As stated in an earlier article, working from home can be very rewarding for many people. As America becomes more energy conscious and more family conscious, there are more and more employers offering this opportunity.

Not all work at home jobs are scams. Conversely, not all work at home jobs are legitimate. If you have decided that you have what it takes personality-wise and skill set-wise to be a candidate for working from home, then you will need to be aware that there are some jobs out there which are not legitimate.

The best way to avoid the potential scam job is to be more aware of the legitimate companies that offer this opportunity and to be aware of what they offer. Here are a few guidelines:

Is the company legitimate?

• Check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) for your area

• Do some internet searches to see what others have said about them

• Check with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) website. You can do searches for press release or other information on any employer you are considering

• Visit Fraud.org – they should also be able to inform you of civil and criminal complaints – existence or non-existence of for your prospective employer.

Is the work legit?

• If you need to fork over a sizable amount of cash, it is not a legitimate job, but it may possibly still be a legitimate work opportunity. If you are looking for a job, then you shouldn’t have to pay to start.

• Ask a few questions, such as:

  • What tasks will you be performing?

    • The tasks should not include the use of your bank account, your credit card, or paypal account.

  • Is the pay a salary or commission?

    • Salary or commission is acceptable or a combination – as long as the commission structure is sound and does not have a long list of qualifiers before you finally get it!

    • In some scenarios operating as an independent is also acceptable, but keep in mind you will need to do your own tax accounting and set asides. (positions like professional writers, bookkeepers, etc. are often “1099 employees”.)

  • How often do you get paid and who pays you?

    • Pay should be routine (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or upon invoice submission if you are 1099) and it should be coming from the company that plans on hiring you.

  • How do you get paid?

    • At first, it had better be a paycheck that you can come to the office to pick up, or have mailed to you.

    • After time, and once you’ve satisfied yourself that you are working with a legitimate company, if they offer direct deposit, then you can sign up for that program.

    • You should not be paid in cash!

With a little research and common sense, you should be able to find a legitimate position with a legitimate company and enjoy the pleasure of working from your own home.

More and more Americans are setting up offices in their homes and joining the work force.

It is a solution to a number of family, environmental, and financial problems that arise when we go out to work each day. There are many excellent positions offered by legitimate companies that can be done from home. There are also many different types of professions that more and more are migrating to home working scenarios because there is cost savings for both the employer and the employee.

There are also numerous benefits to the person who works at home– including less commute time and less wear and tear on their vehicle, which means also less car insurance premiums as the amount of driving so greatly reduced. As well, there are fewer expenses for wardrobe, eating out, etc.

On the other hand, there are other expenses, such as buying your own office supplies, having your own office space, and maintaining your own office equipment, but this is not a complete list.

For those who enjoy working from home, it can be ideal, and conversely for those who require more interaction with others, it can be a form of torture. Thus, make sure you are the type that likes working at home before you pursue that opportunity.

Keep in mind, you have to be your own self-starter, task manager, and scheduler. You can’t allow work/home activities to encroach upon each other. You have to create and stick to a schedule. You have to be available during work hours and not available when the office is closed unless you’ve made special arrangements for a late meeting or a client to call upon a rare occasion.

For the working parent, working at home can be a real challenge as well. How do you juggle the client on the phone, with the child who wants his or her lunch? It can be done, but you will need to work through a few aspects of the time and home/work balance management to get it to work for you. Often home workers with small children will have an in-house nanny, or still take their children to daycare– at least part of the week.

It is important to keep in mind the professional environment that you need to maintain – especially if you are working the phones or minimally have clients who contact you. Don’t have dogs barking at the mailman in the background, or kids jumping on the furniture with you hollering over to them to stop.

Work at home is still work and the rules of professionalism still apply. Keep in mind that your clients need to know you are a professional, not some second-rate worker who can’t afford an office.

The main issue is to first determine if you have the personality to work at home. The second is to determine is if your profession can be done from home. Then once you start to look for a position, make sure you don’t get yourself into a “scam”, which we will cover in another article.

Working from home can be very rewarding for the right person. Explore the area to see if it is for you. Read the article in this serious that gives you guidelines to avoid scams before you start your job search as well.

What’s your stand? Are you for it? Are you against it? Do you have a position?

Let’s take a look at what some people are saying about our four-legged best friends joining our work force:

According to Andrew Field of the Montana-based company Printingforless.com, where every day is a “take your dog to work” day, pets in the workplace increase morale, productivity, and camaraderie. It turns out that 17% of Americans say that their companies are of the same frame of mind. More and more, it seems that employers have found a way to keep the staff happy, and to improve the products and services coming out of their shop – just let the workers have a puppy!

Now on the flip side of the coin: At least 5% of the population has allergies to dogs. That means misery for the allergic-to-dog-hair group is going to a) suffer uncontrollably, b) spend a fortune in allergy medicine, or c) demand of their employers that only hypo-allergenic breeds like poodles be allowed to join in at work.

But let’s take a look at what customers may show concern over: more and more as dogs come to work and begin to “own the space” the unassuming customer may instead of being greeted with a friendly “hello”, find himself greeted by at least a threatening-looking snarl – even if “little Polly” the poodle is sweet and harmless!

No matter the current trend, bringing “Rover” to work will only be a successful activity for the company as a whole if “Rover” and the work force can agree to a few basic rules, such as no allergy issues, no territorial issues, no domineering issues, and of course – Rover must know the ropes on the proper place to “use the facilities”.

Also, the customer issue is not as broad of a concern as one may have imagined because most of the employers that are inviting their staff to bring their dogs to work do not typically have clients or customers who come to the office. Thus the greater issue really is whether or not employee productivity and morale is improved by the practice.

Blue Cross in the UK recently conducted a study, where they also found that dogs create a positive change when they are permitted in the workplace. The study has shown that having a dog in the workplace decreases absenteeism, increases productivity and greatly improves staff morale.

Currently, the United States and Canada are the leading countries for working environments that invite dogs to join in on this continent. The UK is working towards creating that same environment in more of their working environments. On the Asian continent, however, Taiwan has almost half of their employers allowing staff to bring their dogs to work.

Finally, in the US there is even a special day, declared as, “Take Your Dog to Work Day”. It is on June 20^th. It was created by Pet Sitters International (PSI) to celebrate dogs as great companions. The purpose of the day is to encourage employers to experience the value of pets in the workplace. It can also help to encourage pet adoptions from shelters, humane societies and rescue groups.

What, pray tell, is “the right degree”?

You would be amazed at who is getting the attention as they are coming out of the college/university circuit and into the work world.

It may just surprise you to know that one of the hot areas is in engineering. People with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, for example, are getting the notice of such places as NASA – and companies in Wisconsin such as Illumination Optics to name a couple.

All over the nation, the real area of hot jobs can be summed up as those jobs that require some type of a degree or skilled training program in the areas of math or science. Headhunting companies have lists of “hard-to-fill” jobs, which show that the positions which require some type of skilled math or science training to be the highest in demand.

According to Manpower, Inc. the hardest list of jobs for them to fill this past year was engineering positions. Why? Because the engineers were in a higher demand than in years past and there simply weren’t enough of them with the right degree!

Second hardest to fill was machinists and machine operators. Even the skilled trades, technicians, and IT positions were hard for Manpower to get filled – despite what everybody keeps saying about a failing economy!

As our society evolves and grows, the area that generates strong interest from the work world becomes more and more the students with math and science degrees. Then there are those in the computer sciences, which ranked #9 on the hard-to-fill jobs list this year. There was a time after the dot.com bubble burst when they were nowhere on this list.

Part of the reason why these types of degrees are in such high demand is because there are fewer people who actually go to college for these types of degrees as compared to those who go into the Business or Language Arts programs.

In fact some majors, like the engineering major, may actually begin to draw the attention of recruiters from the day he or she sets foot on campus and will certainly receive multiple job offers when he or she graduates.

Keep in mind as well that as demand goes up, so does the pay. Students who embark upon degrees in the areas of science or math will normally draw a significantly higher opening offer than students in the fields that are not in high demand.

Much of what some researchers say has caused such a shortage of qualified people in the sciences, math, engineering and skilled trades arenas is simply an inadequate level of teachers at the high school level to provide sufficient math and science training prior to entering college. The college programs for these degrees have more astringent guidelines that many high school students cannot/could not meet to qualify for training programs in these fields.

This situation has been tracked back to inadequate salaries for math and science teachers at the high school level, which tends to keep the teachers out of the high schools and in the colleges.