Monthly Archives: March 2010

Engineering a starting salary of $61K – yeah!

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If you think all the salaries being offered to fresh young grads are rice-and-beans low, you haven’t talked to any chemical engineering majors.

Their starting pay for this year is $65,142, second highest in the National Association of Colleges and Employers just released list of majors with the best salaries. The top spot went to petroleum engineers, a scarce lot of barely 500 graduates in recent years. In a year when salary freezes and reductions were common, they will earn $3,000 more on average than last year.

In fact, engineers claim eight of the 10 highest salaries in NACE’s annual survey, and they’ve been near the top for a few years.

The top five this year are:

1.  Petroleum engineering  - $86,220

2. Chemical engineering  - $65,142

3. Mining / mineral engineering – $64,552

4.  Computer science  - $61,205

5. Computer engineering – $60,879

Others in the top 10 include electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering and information sciences; each will start at salaries above $53,000 on average.

“Many of the engineering disciplines benefit from an imbalance in the supply/demand ratio,” NACE executive director Marilyn Mackes said in a report on salaries last summer. That scarcity of candidates leads to higher pay.

B-school graduates salaries start around $45,000 to $49,000 this year, a small drop from last year.

NACE will give more entry level college grad salary details in April. The 2009 grads experienced a 1.2 percent drop in average salary, to $49,353.

This year’s average declined to  $48,351 based on NACE’s preliminary estimate. Many newcomers start their first job out of college at $30,000.  The average figure covers liberal arts majors, b-school and the techies too.

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7 tips to create your own career comeback

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It’s easy to get discouraged when you’ve fallen off your career track and feel the weight of your misstep on your reputation and your resume.

Yet so many famous and successful people have been fired, screwed up their careers and otherwise needed to stage a comeback.  Harvey Mackay featured dozens of amazing people – from Michael Bloomberg to Larry King to tennis great Billie Jean King in his book “We Got Fired!…. And It’s the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Us!”  It came out a few years ago and I still refer to it as a powerful reminder that sudden departures can open doors.

My recent Washington Post article gave some advice oncareer comebacks.

One of the experts for the piece is John A. Sarkett, who compiled two books “Extraordinary Comebacks” and “Extraordinary Comebacks 2.”  He’s an marketing and public relations firm owner in the Chicago area who blogs about comebacks.

He believes the one essential trait of the 450 people in his two books is simple: “They never gave up.”

“Some forge ahead with great family support, others don’t have that, in fact they have instead the derision of their family (restaurateur and Food Network star Paula Deen).  Some of our comeback stories are genius visionaries, some are very ordinary people.  But they all have desire,” Sarkett told me.

As part of our email interviews, Sarkett provided these seven smart actions for making your way back:

  1. PERSIST. Don’t quit.  It took Sir Edmund Hillary two attempts to climb Everest, Perry eight times to reach the North Pole, and various authors scores and sometimes hundreds of tries to get their works published. “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.”  Sir Winston Churchill.
  2. WORK HARD. Great “comebackers” use every hour in the day: Food Network star Paula Deen barbecued late at night; boxer George Foreman out-trained younger fighters to win the championship.  You may find your comeback  in the effort you make.
  3. UNDERSTAND TRANSIENCE. Don’t extrapolate temporary setbacks into permanent defeat.  It won’t last. Lance Armstrong was given a tiny chance to survive cancer, yet he won seven Tour de Frances.   Churchill again:  “When you’re going through hell, keep going.”
  4. CHANGE DIRECTION. Sylvester Stallone was stymied as an actor, so he wrote Rocky after seeing the Wepner-Ali fight.  Quincy Jones was a talented trumpeter, but after a stroke, he had to quit. He transformed into a renowned music producer.
  5. DEVELOP SUPPORT. Stay away from  nay-sayers, even if they’re famous or going to be. Hang out with friends who won’t let you quit.
  6. STAY HUMBLE. Attitude  is everything.  When tennis master Andre Agassi fell from No. 1 to No. 141 as he abused drugs including crystal meth , he started over, back to the minor leagues, upped his training.  It set the stage for greater things.  Attitude – not image – is everything.
  7. DREAM BIG. Your effort and ideas are worth many times what you may imagine.  Fred Smith wrote a college paper that got a “C,” as the story goes, then turned it into $40 billion FedEx.  J.K. Rowling wrote her ideas about a fictional boy.  Harry Potter sold 100 million copies, and $4 billion movie box office, and counting.  You too can more than you imagine.  Dream big.

These “to dos” were edited down from Sarkett’s original list and they are valuable even if all you can muster is following three of them.

Sarkett also thinks Tiger Wood’s fall from grace after an accident and disclosure of his string of affairs carries an important message for anyone who’s making it today. Woods showed up in Sarkett’s first book after rebuilding his golf swing. Now he has a bigger comeback to stage. The lesson: “No matter where you’re at, you’re not more than one day’s drive from a comedown and that life is nothing but a series of comebacks strung together.”

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Where to go if you’re looking for better job prospects

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If you really really want to work, pack your laptop and your best career clothes and head for Anchorage or Washington D.C.   Burlington, Vermont,  Memphis and Killeen, Texas, also may be profitable places to move.

According to a new Manpower report, they are among the metro areas with the strongest second-quarter hiring outlooks. Some  - notably Anchorage and Washington – have made the best places for jobs list several time.

They show up in a report that shows possibilities in many places. Hiring will “inch ahead,” Manpower said this morning in announcing this report. Twelve of the 13 industry sectors Manpower tracks expect positive net hiring in April through June, with construction and manufacturing experiencing notable improvements compared to a year ago.  The biggest gains, though, were in leisure and hospitality – good news for all the concierges, hotel managers and maids who have been looking for work.

Nationwide, 16 percent of employers expect to add to payrolls, while 8 percent are reducing them, according to Manpower’s survey of 18,000 workplaces. This means a net 8 percent hiring outlook for the second quarter —a continued gradual improvement from previous quarters.

“U.S. hiring activity is still in neutral, but revving toward first gear,” Jonas Prising, Manpower president of the Americas, said in a statement.

The overall modest hiring expectations has some exceptions, or exceptional metro areas, including:

  • In Anchorage, a net 22 percent of employers are adding to staff, and the jobless rate — 7.7 percent– is pretty low.
  • In Washington, D.C. 20 percent of employers expect to hire — and the jobless rate — 6.4 percent — has been among the lowest in the country for a while. (For more, check out my jobs outlook for the Beltway published in January in the Washington Post.)
  • In Burlington, Vt., the jobless rate stands at 5.5 percent and a net 22 percent of employers are hiring in the weeks ahead.

These three each have hiring outlooks that are more than 2 1/2 times better than the United States as a whole.

Other cities where employers are growing ample jobs this spring include Fort Collins, Colo.; Greenville, SC.; Portland, Maine; Albany, N.Y.; Shreveport, LA and Raleigh, N.C.  About 16 to 17 percent of employers in Memphis and Milwaukee expect to bring on engineers and electricians, waiters and administrative assistants.  (There are more than five in the top five metro areas because several areas have tied net hiring scores.)

And workers still are moving for jobs. About one in seven job mid-level and higher seekers relocated to find new jobs last year, about the same as in previous years, according to a  separate Right Management report.

If you’re thinking you don’t or can’t relocate for work, the strongest hiring will come from leisure, closely followed by professional and business services – from lawyers to management consultants to advertising agencies.  Manpower said financial sector, mining and manufacturing also will experience strong hiring, and construction,  deeply in decline last year, will add jobs too.

Government was the only sector to show a negative employment outlet in the second quarter.

And the regions that are weak and struggling – and not good markets for jobless refugees –  Manpower points to San Juan, Puerto Rico and Merced, Calif., with a net negative 7 or 8 percent on the hiring prospects.  Other down areas include Las Vegas, Reno, Atlanta, Macon, GA; Portland and Champaign-Urbana.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^MORE INFO:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For updated, metro area unemployment, watch for a Bureau of Labor Statistics report tomorrow (March 10).

For more on the Manpower forecast, check out details here.

For another hiring forecast which has shown six months of gains, read the Conference Board’s report here.

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Need inspiration? Try one of these 10 job seeker movies

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If you’ve been jobless for a while, you’re probably sick of the advice on using LinkedIn or effective networking. And you may feel worn out or burned out by the silence or lack of opportunities.

You may be ready for a “pause that refreshes.” With the Oscars upon us, it’s time to tune in to some motivating movies that work for job seekers.

These movies are intended to cheer your up, to see your problems in a broader light. You need some flicks that will encourage, inspire and remind you that life goes in cycles. So just when things seem bleakest, that’s when the hero – sometimes an aging boxer, sometimes a career challenged creative director – tears off her jacket and leaps into action.

So switch off the evening news and switch on these 10 motivating movies for job hunters, recommended by some of the smartest career and motivational types I know.

1. The Pursuit of Happyness.

I love this Will Smith movie, based on the true tale of Chris, a salesman down on his luck but eager to bring back a good life. He and his 5-year-old are homeless in San Francisco, yet always clean, caring and connected. The movie shows the importance of faith even when things look bleak, and how determination – and a zeal to build your future – make all the difference. It’s a feel-good movie that will make you want to hug someone and hustle on your own behalf.

2. Cinderella Man.

Recommended by Emmanuel Lopez, who calls himself Motivatorman and blogs about motivation and movies.  It’s based on the true story of boxer Jim Braddock, who struggles to feed his family and keep life together in the Great Depression. It shows job seekers how to use their passion as energy and focus, and tells of the hidden opportunities that show up in work outside your line. See more from Lopez’s piece in the Examiner.

3. Avatar.

Recommended by Susan Joyce developer of the popular site Job-Hunt.org , this flick shows how humans enter a strange and beautiful world using fast blue avatars, and how one of them changes his nature and his allegiance as he becomes more and more connected there.  “A resume, LinkedIn Profile, etc. is a job seeker’s avatar.  Not blue and sparkly and incredibly athletic, but… something that works in the job search world,” Joyce said.  “I don’t think that people need to ‘morph’ into blue beings, but they need to put their best “presence” forward.” Job seekers need to “battle to get a job, using guerrilla tactics to fight through to win the job,” she said, even if  interviewing and networking feels like a 3-D jungle.

4. Braveheart.

Part history, party mythology, this movie tells of a common Scotsman who fights for his country’s freedom. Recommended by Maryland Professional Outplacement Assistance director Steve Gallison, who says it shows “lots of blood but lots of guts/nerve …. a small group of people with a plan ably managed overcoming huge obstacles. It stresses teamwork, alliances and persistence to reach an objective.” He adds his takeaway: “Every man dies but not every man really lives.”

5. It’s Complicated.

Suggested by career coach Barbara Herzog, the movie tells of a middle aged woman, played by Meryl Streep, who runs a high end bakery and is courted by her ex-husband. After consideration, she chooses a dull architect instead.  “She knows when it’s  time to move on,” said Herzog, “a moral that may be  comforting to people who have hated their jobs or bosses, even while mourning the loss of those jobs. ”

6. The Shawshank Redemption.

Lopez, who blogs on careers and motivation, likes this Morgan Freeman movie about an escape from prison for its optimistic mindset and resilience. He also appreciates the character played by Tim Robbins problem-solving and careful strategy – traits that will help anyone’s career. Read more about his perspective on this film here.

7. Lemonade – The Movie.

Joyce suggested this, even before she’d seen it, since it shows how more than a dozen advertising types reinvented themselves after layoffs. Filmed documentary style, by someone who was himself laid off, it has this inspiring tagline: “It’s not a pink slip, it’s a blank page.”  The trailer looks very promising – and the DVD, available for $9.99 apiece, might be worthwhile for a job hunt club to acquire. I am looking forward to seeing this one soon. and may write more about it.

8. Julie and Julia.

This is my pick – and one of my passions too. When the director of her cooking school told Julia Child in her snooty French accent that she had no talent in preparing food, Julia just kept going. She wrote cook books, taught and ended up a legend. She inspired millions to try French cooking and Julie, a cubicle worker, to cook all her recipes and blog about them. I recommend this movie, starring Merrill Streep, because of its multiple messages. It shows the importance of plunging in, trying new things – and having faith in yourself. “They discovered I was fearless,” Child says of the men in her cooking school. It also shows that even mild women like Julie can achieve great things, if they take it one step or one recipe at a time.

9. Pay It Forward.

Maryland’s Steve Gallison recommends this story of a boy’s social studies assignment, which though he doesn’t realize it, spreads from city to city. Assigned to come up with some idea that will improve “change the world,” the kid believes if he completes three major good deeds for someone, they will pay it forward” and good things will spread out. The movie, Gallison believes, reminds unemployed people how they can help others – whether by pointing out job listings or sharing resources in a job hunt group.

10. The Full Monty.

Six unemployed steelworkers in England are looking for a way to make money in this classic film recommended by Herzog – and by me. They decide to perform in the nude, showing “the full monty.” It’s a dicey project in their small town, yet they come together, “make some money, have some fun and everybody’s morale improves,” Herzog said.  They also learn a lot about themselves, and about starting something new.

Of course, none of these movies will win you a job or even an interview. They won’t even help you prepare for the next interviews. But they will help you appreciate and enjoy  life, even amid adversity and setbacks.

I plan to post another 10 motivating movies in a week or so, and welcome your suggestions on what flicks inspire, encourage and refresh. Send them to me at Vickie@WorkingKind.com or leave them as a comment here.  As Steve Gallison said, “we must seek sources of encouragement for ourselves and reach out to others.”

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Brown bag it and burnish career connections

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Skip lunches out or Starbucks on the way into the office to save some cash. The latest Harris Poll confirms it: More people are “brown bagging it” to cut costs.

The survey focuses on small ways Americans are saving money, by going to hair stylists or barber shops less frequently or buying refillable water bottles. The biggest way of saving: Almost two thirds of the 2,576 people surveyed say they’re buying more generic brand merchandise in the last six months.

One cutback though comes with substantial career concerns: We mean the 45 percent of Americans who stay in and eat peanut butter sandwiches or leftover spaghetti.  Make that 56 percent for Gen Xers, those ages 34-45. Clearly brown-bagging can bring real savings. If you spend even $5 or $6 a day for an affordable lunch out, you’re dropping $25 to $30 a week on meals. The adds up to $780 over six months on burgers and fries or veggie wraps and salads.

All that time, you may be insulated from important insights and information, as well as work friends. You could miss out on important gossip or details on changes coming in your department or organization. These are often shared outside the office – at lunch or over happy hours after work. Or you may miss out on new job possibilities, or start-ups or consulting gigs that could bring a second source of income.

So no matter how much we understand and embrace the new frugality, we also value camaraderie and celebrations – and those often happen over meals. Don’t risk damaging your reputation or developing one as a staid and unsociable sort over a few dollars.

In these tough times we cannot afford to become cut off from our work colleagues – both as a source of information and as supporters of our new projects, career goals or needs for personal development.

So if you’re one of the Americans who have been eating lunch at their desk – or sitting alone in a corner of the corporate cafeteria, a bit abashed by the boring brown bag, it’s time to break bread with your boss and coworkers.

Here’s five ways to be frugal and use food for professional fellowship:

  • Plan an office party at your home. Come up with a reason for the gathering – sometimes a silly idea like your 1,000th day on the job or something serious like your best friend’s promotion or new baby. Then make sure you have all the food and drink organized before the event begins so you can concentrate on connecting with the crew.
  • Get with the gang every other Friday. Your new scrimping and saving is laudable, but leave room for the occasional team gab fest in your favorite eatery or bar. Be smart and selective about when to show up – and make sure you have a sweet or smarmy answer to the “where have you been?” question.
  • Create a souper star support group. This group is focused on frugality and career success. Heat up some soup – store bought or homemade – once a week or every other week and warm up your career prospects too. To take this beyond a chat and chew, look for career advancement articles or tools to share. Or ask each person to find one book that may be valuable to all and report on it. My current choice: The Power of Small / Why Little Things Make All the Difference by Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval (Broadway Books, $17.95, 140 pages).
  • Start a bagels and bargains group. This also could also be called bagels and bravery  or bagels and balance – depending on your focus and hopes. The point is: Build your network – and your reputation for creativity and community. Be sure to share career insights along with money-saving ideas. Make sure you rotate the bagel buying, and get buy-in from your HR Department and boss.
  • Produce a monthly or quarterly office potluck. These can be great fun – and great for business. They strengthen the camaraderie and connections, and give workers a chance to show off their culinary talents too. One consulting firm even created a friendly competition for the best dish from the worker’s ethnic background – and then published a cookbook from their entries. Your office might not want to take it that far, but a quarterly shared meal may mean the folks in accounting are more likely to share their expertise with sweetness. A potluck can be a great way to stage a brainstorming session, a sales meeting or a meet the new staffers gathering. And if you organize this, you’re at the nexis of information and people – and you’re seen as someone who understands motivating staff and being frugal with corporate expense accounts, both pluses for your next performance review.

Of course, there’s other ways to stay attuned to the news and gossip besides noshing on noodles. Coffee, salads, dessert, wine and cheese or an ice cream social – something I used a few summers ago for my team.

So engage your creativity along with your appetite for career information and connections.

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If you’re interested in reading more on Americans frugality, as documented by The Harris Poll, go here.

If you want some recipes for your first office potluck, I’ve appreciated several luscious dishes from Susan at  Farmgirl Fare . Or make the first one a recipe you received from Mom or Dad (even if they never posted anything on a blog, they feed us for years).

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New online tools for the job hunt

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If you’re looking for some new places to look for work, look no further.

The U.S. Department of Labor has brought together 60 online career sites in one place. And the sites weren’t chosen by bureaucrats, but by individuals, employers and career experts and others who voted for their favorite tools in January.

The new suite is founded on the CareerOneStop page and includes everything from the obscure to the Monster. I wrote about this recently for the Washington Post, and am already using some of the resources myself.  Others are on my “to explore” list.

Besides jobs boards, you’ll find resources for planning your next career and information on scholarships, skills assessments and more.

Here’s one category — the Labor Department’s recommended Social Media Job Search sites:

Door64.com – (http://door64.com)

GreenJOBS.pro – (http://greenjobs.pro)

JibberJobber.com – (http://www.jibberjobber.com)

JobHunt.org Twitter – (http://twitter.com/jobhuntorg)

Jobs-Assistant – (http://www.jobs-assistant.net)

LinkedIn – (http://www.linkedin.com/)

Linkedin Jobs Group – (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1976445)

Susan Ireland’s YouTube Playlists – (http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=326ccae042d03e86)

Susan P. Joyce’s Linkedin Group – (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1713867)

TweetMyJOBS.com – (http://www.tweetmyjobs.com)

My hope is that everyone – employed and unemployed alike – find at least one new resource here, and better yet three or 30. We all need a full toolbox to keep our careers running smoothly.

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Kindness works for unemployed

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Anyone looking for a job knows the value of a supportive friend or former co-worker. They can really make a difference -in helping you find a new gig and in keeping your spirits high while unemployed.

I still remember the big box of treats that arrived for me about a week after I left my big business editor job a few years ago. My friends from Newsday sent it to me, with a cheer-me-up note.  It helped so much to remind me of a circle of support – and that some talented journalists believed in my talents.

With nearly one in ten Americans still unemployed, it’s time to consider what we could do to send a little kindness to one or two of them.

MORE TO COME ON THIS SOON.

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