If you missed the university graduation yet want to encourage the graduate, we have another shelf of great books to inspire and advise graduates.

Some of them show up in my short Washington Post article this weekend – recommended by a bookseller at Politics & Prose in D.C.  among others. Others show up here, recommended by Nicola Rooney, owner of another independent book store in Ann Arbor, and by Martha Finney, a former journalist and author. A couple come from the Books for a Better Life Award, given annually to exceptional self-help and motivational titles.

Finney, a former business writer now writes books such as “Rebound / A Proven Plan for Starting Over After Job Loss ” and “HR from the Heart / Inspiring Stories and Strategies …..” Finney also runs team-building workshops and speaks and consults on employee engagement.

Self-Reliance and Other Essays, by Ralph Waldo Emerson.  The  American philosopher tells us that it’s necessary to think for ourselves and not abandon our sense of right and wrong, especially facing external, societal pressures to take the easy route. “Although he lived and wrote in the 19th Century, his thoughts about independence and individualism are as relevant and inspiring today as they were when the ink was still fresh.”

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children, by John Wood. This wonderful story shows the power an individual has to make a difference to millions of strangers, with more than a little bit of help from his friends. Said Finney: “If I were to give this book to a new graduate, I hope its lessons would inspire my young friend to stay hopeful, energetic, observant, grateful, and passionate about the world.”

Find Your Calling, Love Your Life, by Martha I. Finney and Deborah Dasch.  This is a hopeful, inspiring collection of interviews with ordinary Americans who discovered who they are and their place in the world through adventures in finding their right life’s work. Although out of print, Finney is kindly offering a free ebook. Request a copy from her: martha@marthafinney.com.

The Books for a Better Life awards, given annually by the the National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s New York Chapter, include several worth considering. These winners are from this year’s awards and include book descriptions culled from Amazon.com and various book reviews:

Strength in What Remains by Tracy Kidder, Random House, won in the inspirational memoir category. It tells the story of a medical student who flees the horrors of war-gorn Africa and arrives with $200 and delivers groceries to well-to-do New Yorkers. The New York Times called the book “one of the truly stunning books…this year.”

Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives By Nicholas A. Christakis M.D. and James H. Fowler won the psychology award. Book describes the science of our connections – and how they spread happiness, weight gain and political views.

Nicola Rooney owner of Nicola’s Books in Ann Arbor is a former engineer who says her choices “reflect my analytical tendencies. Choosing a career is too important to leave just to touchy feely.” Her choices:
Discover What You’re best At by Linda Gale, Fireside Books. The premise: You enjoy doing things you are good at, so for a happy career, pick one that matches your skills.  The book sets out several tests to pinpoint your skill set, then using the reults guide in the back, it groups the type of career path that utilizes those skills. For anyone who is uncertain which direction to take, this book give some great pointers and may broaden your outlook into new areas.

What Color is Your Parachute by Richard Bolles,  Ten Speed Press. Now in its 40th year, still probably the best, most practical, proven method for organizing your job search. It’s useful for new job seekers, as well as mid career job shifts.  The book is updated every year to reflect the current job market, but is solidly based on experience and covers much more than just resume writing and interview techniques. (Elmer aside: See my Washington Post interview with Bolles from a year ago for a sampling of his  search strategies thinking.)

Do What You Are:  Discover the Perfect Career for You through the Secrets of Personality Type. By Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron  Little Brown  This one counterbalances the first one,with its focus on the good match between your temperament and your job equaling a rewarding outcome.  The book explains Personality Types, using the Myers-Briggs system.  Myers -Briggs tests are conducted by professionals, but the ideas in the book are valuable in general for instilling some structure into planning your career.  It offers suggestions on career paths likely to suit your personality.

I will suggest a few books myself, and serve up a few more suggestions from my experts, in my third post on inspiring graduates books that will be posted by Wednesday.

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My thanks to Martha Finney and Nicola Rooney for their contributions to this blog. I am friendly with both of them, but have no business relationships. Nor do I earn anything from the sale of any of these books.

Work is work – even if it’s a paycheck from people who pushed you out the door  just months ago.

More workers are hearing “You’re rehired” these days, from employers eager to rebuild their ranks and bring in proven talent. So if you’re looking for your next gig you may want to look back at your last two gigs.

Among those laid off and back to work in the last six months, 57 percent boomeranged back to their former boss or workplace, CareerBuilder reports.

More than two-thirds of those still looking for jobs said they’re willing to be rehired by a former boss, though one in five say they’d return only if offered more money than before.

Despite such aspirations, not every employer will welcome back laid off staff with gusto – and some have policies or practices that prohibit their return. Others may bring back some staff, but others are less welcome, either because of their work history or the way they departed.

Because of lawyers and legal restrictions, some employers are unwilling to give a direct answer to the question – “Am I eligible for rehire?” said David Miles, managing partner of  The Miles Lehane Companies / OI Partners.  His firm offers career transition and coaching services from its headquarters in Leesburg, Va.

Still, the candidate must ask the question and  carefully watch the response. Enthusiasm means you’re more likely to see doors open while a “send us your information” or other basic reply that any candidate would receive may indicate you’re not eligible or not really welcome, Miles suggests.

If you’re intent on a return gig, here’s five tips for getting rehired from Miles and me:

1.  REVIEW YOUR REVIEW. Pull out your last performance appraisal and notes from your boss. They will give you a sense of how you were judged. You may have made lots of progress on arriving to work on time or shushing your sassy mouth since that review was written, but the record of it will still be reviewed. Even if your boss left the organization after you did, your employee file sleeps somewhere in Human Resources and someone will wake it up.

2.  STAY IN TOUCH. ” Chances of being rehired improve when the individual has maintained an ongoing but positive communications with the company,” Miles said. The best approach may be this: “sometime shortly after all the paperwork is signed off at termination, a person should write a a positive note to HR and/or their supervisor thanking them for the departure package and expressing a desire for rehire if the situation turns around.” Then touch base every month or so, inquiring about career possibilities and expressing a zeal to work there again.

3.  BUILD YOUR TALENTS. Ramp up  volunteering and educational opportunities – and if there are areas that you know your boss thought needed work, spend some time there. Consult. Mentor someone. Learn to tango or Twitter. Make sure you stay current in your field through a professional association, contract work or other ways. Said Miles: “This is a real big one.  If a rehire candidate can not speak to why are they viable today, they will have a problem returning to the position.”

4.  GROW YOUR NETWORK. Make yourself known to the new executives by a volunteer leadership role in a trade organization or by sending some market research or ideas for strengthening the brand. Take a short-term contract assignment at your former employer – especially if it puts you in front of new managers.

Show up at the happy hour your team frequents occasionally – but only arrive when you feel confident and upbeat about yourself. Check in with contractors, retirees who still consult with the organization and interns you hired.  If it seems appropriate, show up at company open houses or annual meetings – and call yourself a proud alumni. Introduce yourself to brass in other departments – often you may land a second chance in a different area than where you worked previously.

5.  EXPRESS EAGERNESS. ” Do verbalize your passion for what you do and how the absence focused you more on how much you enjoy your professional area,” said Miles, who has worked in career arena for decades.  Wear the company T-shirt to charity fundraisers or races. You may even want to develop an elevator pitch that is promote yourself as an adjunct member of the team or someone who’s sitting on the sidelines ready to be called back to the game.  Prepare for the  interview, addressing your reason for returning and what advancements you’ve made in the months you’ve been away. Express some empathy for the company and its managers who also suffered from the downsizings, Miles said. “This rehire interview is really critical, so practice for it.”

About half of all employers at least occasionally rehire former staffers, OI Partners research last fall shows. The main reasons for re-recruiting people let go: They have demonstrated skills and they know the organization’s culture. Many think it’s less risky than hiring new staff.

One-fifth of employers say they never rehire laid off crew, and 29 percent rarely do – among those unlikely to encourage boomeranging are government agencies and health care.

What won’t work for a return engagement?  If you expressed a lot of anger as you were laid off, that could taint your tracks back. This “depends on what level of anger and how abusive the language was,” Miles said. “Intensity matters here” as does the number of people who knew of your outburst of displeasure.

Other issues could sidetrack your return too, including questions about your ability to change and adapt to a new environment or a leaner, harder working approach.

If you want to check on your reputation and residue, quietly ask a couple of friends at the office if they will recommend you for a job – and what hesitations they have in doing so.  Be clear you want their candid feedback as well as their support in returning. Ask only those who you are certain have strong standing and careers themselves. It does no good to be endorsed by someone whose future or judgment is questionable.

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Read the CareerBuilder.com media release on returning to an old employer here.

ABC News’ columnist Michelle Goodman has a piece on going back to your former employer.

To learn more about David Miles and his company, check the corporate website here.

Ah – summer and the summer job. The first ones stay with us forever, whether we work as an admin in Mom’s business, a caddy on the links or at the Farmers Market. Some find first jobs in factories, others in candy shops.

This year, though, summer jobs look scarce for youth. Teen unemployment nationally tops 25 percent in April, and is higher than that in some hard-hit areas of California or Michigan.  So teens need help, lots of it.

That’s why Mity Nice and I are launching an ambitious series of teen job search tips. They’re culled from many sources and experts and from my life experience and expertise. After all, I’m a mom of three as well as a careers and workplace writer, and co-owner of Mity Nice, which hires teens to sell Italian ice and support charities in and around Ann Arbor. We know we can’t hire all the teens that need jobs this summer, or even a small percent of them. So we hope to help them with some advice and encouragement.

The tips will be offered on Mity Nice’s Facebook page, and also collected here. We’ll give one a day, or five each week for at least six weeks.

Here’s a sneak peak at the first three, a long-form version of what’s on Facebook:

1. Know what employers look for.

Some traits are universal:  NACE, the National Association of Colleges and Employers, lists five top qualities: communication skills, analytical skills, teamwork, technical skills and a strong work ethic.   The American Management Association’s four Cs add to that list creativity and innovation.

Many of these are the very skills that make you a good student or the go-to co-captain of your sports team – the “soft skills” that you learn from teachers, parents, teammate. And a few requirements are specific to a job, such as lifeguard’s need for certification or sous chef must know how to chop and saute vegetables.

Either way, build these skills – and these words – into your resume and into your introduction to a future boss.

2. Develop a positive and confident attitude.

“Confidence is about trusting oneself,”" said the Buddhist monk Gayuna Cealo. You may feel very nervous about finding a job – that’s natural. When you go into a business to apply, push all that away. Take a deep breath. And fake it until you make it.

Another way to build confidence: Ask your best friend or a teacher  to list five great attributes you have. Write them down, put the list in your iPhone — and look at them often.

A third confidence booster: Practice. Recruit a friend to rehearse for job interviews. Or practice the introduction you’ll give walking into the store to  land a summer job. Or practice your affirmation – repeat it every time you wash your hands. (Yes, you can say it silently when you’re in the ladies’ room after gym.)

3. Create a resume.

Even if you’ve never held a paying job before, you really really need one. A resume is an important marketing tool – and a valuable way to gather up all the great things you’ve ever done or achieved, at least since you’ graduated from tricycle to two-wheeler. Your resume is an opportunity to tell your future boss that you’re a standout and you put extra effort in – whether it’s for a sport, a hobby, your classes, your volunteer activities or your friends.

If you can’t imagine what you’ll say, pull out your awards and recognitions. Then pull up your computer and send three adults who know you well these two questions: What have I accomplished or done that you think belongs on my resume? What three traits or qualities do I have that an employer will want?  (Yes, you may ask your BFF and your current beau those questions too, though they may not give you the best, resume-ready answers.)

Resumes are so important, Vickie wrote a longer blog post on creating a first resume. Read it soon – and then use it to create yours, or your kids.

I’ll post bonus material on this blog too, such as some advice sent to me from employment and recruitment companies, and anything that needs a little extra space beyond the short tips.

Please share these tips with teens who are searching, and with their parents, who are important career advisors and cheerleaders. And sign onto our MityNice page to see more later this week.

Teen tips are copyright Vickie Elmer, 2010. For permission to republish or use them, please contact the author.

Graduates this year are leaving commencement and entering a work world that has challenges and opportunities, holes and hopefulness, continuity and lots of change.

So they may need extra guidance on establishing their careers and navigating the complexities of being the new kid in a company that laid off one in five workers just months earlier. Or they may take a job they don’t really like, just to land safely. (The acceptance rate rose sharply among college graduates this year, and one fourth of them have jobs waiting for them, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers.)

If you know a graduate and are wondering what to give her or him, I’ve asked some creative and smart people who love books to recommend their best picks for young adults. The books are a mix of career, business and life titles – some old and some new. And the blog post comes in two part, with a second helping of ideas including some of my choices.

The selections and  commentary come directly from my respected colleagues and from an independent bookstore in Ann Arbor that I appreciate. I hope they will prove valuable for high school and college graduates, though they are aimed primarily at the university departures.

Here then are the great books for grads, part 1:

Barbara J. Winter, author of Making a Living Without a Job and a woman who leads seminars on being “joyfully jobless” also calls herself a “passionate reader” and intrepid traveler. Barbara Winter’s picks:

1. ROADTRIP NATION by Mike Marriner and Nathan Gebhard. The book began with a conversation between two college friends who realized they had very few ideas about career options. They set off on a cross-country trip to interview people doing unique and interesting things and along the way got excited about their own futures.

2.  A WHOLE NEW MIND by Daniel H. Pink is subtitled Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Pink makes a strong case for preparing for the future by learning to think like a creative innovator. And he shows us how to do that.

3. MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE by Bill Strickland is the inspiring and astonishing story of the author’s courage to dream bigger and make his Pittsburgh ghetto a better place to live. Along the way, he impacts thousands of lives by helping others do the same. He shows us that a nurturing environment can erase years of bad lessons.  (I heartily recommend this one too.)

4 .College grads will  find plenty of encouragement in a new book called DELIVERING HAPPINESS by Tony Hsieh, the founder of Zappos. It’s an inside look at how this Harvard grad become a successful entrepreneur and inspiration to employees.

Jim Pawlak has a varied background: He worked for Ford Motor Credit for a decade, then wrote about job search and careers for several newspapers, including the Detroit Free Press, where I helped him launch his writing career. He still writes Biz Books for newspapers including the Dallas Morning News. Pawlak’s picks:

5.  101 THINGS  I LEARNED IN BUSINESS SCHOOL by Michael Pries, Grand Central Publishing, $15.  It’s Business Basics 101 – ideal for the liberal arts grads who haven’t taken business courses.  Good guide to understanding how business does business.

6. FULL THROTTLE: 122 STRATEGIES TO SUPERCHARGE YOUR PERFORMANCE AT WORK by Greg Steinberg, John Wiley & Sons, $22.95.  Find your passion.  Create your path.  Make the committment.  Enjoy your journey.

7. MOJO – HOW TO GET IT, HOW TO KEEP IT by Marshall Goldsmith, Hyperion Books, $26.99. When you’ve got your mojo working, you’re in the make-it-happen zone.  You push boundaries.  Without mojo, you remain in your let-it-happen comfort or danger zone.

Rachel Pastiva, manager of Crazy Wisdom, an independent bookseller and tea room in downtown  Ann Arbor, is surrounded by books on subjects ranging from natural health to world religions to careers. Her  Crazy Wisdom recommendations for grads:

8. DIY U: EDUPUNKS, EDUPRENEURS AND THE COMING TRANSFORMATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION by Anya Kamentz. Not a light read by any means, this book is a serious look at the cost of higher education and why it needs to change. I  recommend this book as a gift to high school graduates or any graduate considering further education. It’s a good primer on higher education in the United States that will inspire students to actively contemplate what they want from their future.

9. GUARDIANS OF BEING words by Eckhart Tolle and art by Patrick McDonnell. While  this is a great gift book for anyone, t will particularly resonate with animal lovers and dog lovers. Whimsically illustrated by the creator of the comic strip Mutts, this book reminds us how to live in the moment. This is Pastiva’s personal favorite. This is not a book to read once! Each reading of this beautiful book offers new insight and inspiration.

10. YOU MAJORED IN WHAT? MAPPING YOUR PATH FROM CHAOS TO CAREER by Katharine Brooks, ED.D. This is a great title for students graduating college who are looking for guidance on what career path to pursue. Unlike any other book on careers, this book helps the reader map out his/her unique path by assessing not only education, but life experiences and other interests.

A big thanks to Crazy Wisdom and Rachel Pastiva, Jim Pawlak and Barbara Winter for generously sharing their time and wisdom. While I’m friendly with all three and actively support independent booksellers, I have no business relationship with any of them or in mentioning any of these books.

It’s 3:51 a.m. and I’m wide awake. I’ve answered two questions on LinkedIn and done some work on my Brazen Careerist profile. Now I’m ready to find another task to undertake.

Insomnia comes into my nights fairly regularly. So I’m starting to make use of the time – often two or three hours that always seem to start around 3 a.m.

This is the first time I’ve written a blog post, but I have written a lot of emails and provided some Answers on LinkedIn. As I hope you know, the Answers section is a great place to showcase your expertise and provide someone some insights, information, connections and well, answers.

If you’re actively managing your career, you  too can use this night time window of time to your advantage. Here’s seven ideas for insomniac career success:

1. Build your network. Send requests to connect to five former colleagues on LinkedIn or Facebook. (I’m actively building my LinkedIn profile and presence so if you already know me, please be in touch.)
2. Upload a new photo of yourself to your profiles. Your old one may not be professional enough, or give the vibe you want.
3. If you’re worried about something, do some research and reading so you feel more prepared. I’ve done this lately on my seasonal teen-jobs and Italian ice business Mity Nice, and I always feel better when I’ve done some due diligence.
4. Write a couple of Twitter posts. Send one and save a couple for tomorrow, when you’re tired and can’t think of anything worthwhile to say. Better yet, answer someone’s Twitter query with something helpful or funny.
5. Update your Success file with a few recent accomplishments, praise notes, etc.  If you don’t have one of these, it’s so worthwhile. It is similar to a resume but more eclectic: Use it to record and recall your successes – very useful when you’re asked to tell about yourself or need to boost your confidence.
6. Set up a Google alert on a career topic that’s crucial right now. And if you haven’t already, set up another to watch for any mentions of yourself. (If you have a common name, come up with a second or third term to make sure it’s not the woman across the country or in the next city who shares your name.)
7. Write a thank you note to two people who helped you recently. Yes, I mean pen to note card and while you’re at it, send your Mom or Aunt Lil a card telling them how much you love them.

And if you’re still not feeling ready to return to bed, read a chapter in a a career or self-help book. I like Adaptability by M.J. Ryan and just finished Donald Miller’s A Million Miles in a Thousand Years and appreciate his message of changing your life like you’d revise a manuscript or story. These books may not put you to sleep, but they will put you in a better frame of mind.

And yes, when the yawns come, give into the need for sleep. First though, set your alarm back 20 minutes, and add a few extra spoonfuls of coffee to your machine.

This weekend, my younger son and I started looking for summer jobs – for him mostly, though I wouldn’t say no to a camp counselor job or maybe something selling fruity gelato and sorbet.  We looked online of course – CraigsList is our first stop – and also went to the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market.

I made him practice a few things – and pointed out the importance of creating a “cheat sheet” of names and phone numbers of the places he’s worked before. And I tried to coach him a little on what to wear and what attitude to put on to impress a shop owner or a farmer / sales person.

He’s not seeking an internship, just part-time work. But I want him to treat it as seriously as a full-time internship, which provides valuable work experience – and contacts in the intern’s chosen field. They also provide experience in different work environments – and aside from pay, three in 10 marketing professionals believe that is their most important role for students.

Internships also improve thes “soft skills” and technical knowledge, according to a Creative Group telephone survey of 250 advertising and marketing executives who work at the largest agencies and other companies.

The Creative Group, which places people in temp and permanent marketing jobs, offers some advice for landing an internship.Here’s an outtake of their tips:

·        Put on the polish. Your cover letter, resume and portfolio should be professional and without error. Likewise, your attire for for the interview.

·        Show your independent side. Many firms are stretched thin, so demonstrating an ability to work without much direct supervision can be a plus.

·        Emphasize your social media skills. Many firms seek professionals to help launch compelling e-marketing initiatives. If you’re a whiz with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, you could have an advantage.

For more advice on finding a great internship,  I checked outInternWeb.com. InternWeb offers free internship postings, and some good advice on developing a “power resume” and developing some experience through volunteer work and school projects and organizations. See all five strategies for landing “your dream internship.”

Please check my previous posts here at WorkingKind on a teen’s first resume and other internship advice.

As part of my youth jobs and nonprofit support company, Mity Nice, we will launch a series of job hunt tips for teens in about a week. They likely  will appear first on Mity Nice’s Facebook page and then will be gathered here somehow. My plan is to offer one a day, five days a week, for six or seven weeks – it’s ambitious, I know, but how else to help out young people who want jobs?

Bankrate.com via the Boston Globe offers 15 steps toward an internship – from tapping your professors and parents to introducing yourself to speakers at events – but the advice would have been more relevant in January.

And my advice to my son, on searching CraigsList jobs and gigs is simple – start by doing a word search using “summer” and then go to three to five categories and look at most of the listings.  Many won’t be appropriate and some may be bogus, but there are great possibilities there. Like our gardens in spring, we must look for the new shoots of beans, broccoli and sage and water and fertilize them — and throw out the weeds.

Note: This piece originally appeared on April 20, 2009, before my blog was hijacked. I’m reposting it here in hopes that it will be useful. It’s been updated – and the MityNice teen tips will be even more up to date starting right around May 1.

The new $100 bills was unveiled by the Treasury Department on Wednesday, complete with its anti-counterfeiting stripes, hidden images and copper bell.

The debut of the Ben Franklin bill gives me an excuse to write about professions that pay $100 an hour – or more – to their top practitioners.  I’m not talking about people who make $100 an hour once or twice a year. I mean those who earn $100 an hour for just about every hour they work.

That means they make around $200,000 a year – more if they win a bonus or take on extra consulting gigs, less if they take a six-week leave to explore India with their mother or daughter.  Some 3.9 million Americans earned $200,000 to $1 million a year in adjusted gross income, according to the Internal Revenue Service,  counting individuals and many dual income earning families. That means almost 9 percent of all  households — or at least those who filed tax returns — are bringing in a C-note an hour (though that includes investment and other taxable income).

My lists of occupations comes straight from the government, as will those cool new $100 bills. These are drawn from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates for May 2008, the most recent data available.

The first list is those professions that definitely have plenty of $100 an hour people, even though the job category’s average pay doesn’t approach that.

Definitely $100 and up jobs:

1. Surgeons,  average $207,000 or $99.41 an hour

2. Anesthesiologists,  $198,000

3. Orthodontists,   $195,000

4. Chief executives,  $160,000 or $77.13 an hour

5. Dentists,  $154,000

6. Natural sciences managers, $123,000 or $59.30 an hour

7. Lawyers, $124,000 or $53.17 an hour

The BLS also gives some details on people’s income if they’re in the 90th percentile of their occupation or if they work in a city where their skillsets are sought after. So engineering managers in San Jose earn more than their counterparts in any other city, while dentists in Anchorage get some of the highest paychecks.

Also on that list are a variety of other doctors – from obstetricians to internists to psychiatrists. Despite being in short supply for years, nurses don’t even come close – they average around $65,000 and the top 10 percent earn maybe $50 an hour or less.

My second list, also drawn from the BLS data, includes occupations where it seems very likely some people reap pay of $100 an hour, either for consulting or project work or where their tenure and value reaches its zenith. Besides the BLS data, I’m relying on my 20-plus years as a business writer or editor.

Here’s’ probably $100 an hour types,with their average income

1. Airline pilots, $119,700

2.  Securities broker / sales person  $92,000

3. Petroleum engineers  $119,000

4. Physicists  $106,000

5. Engineering managers, $121,000

6. Computer, information systems managers $119,000

7. Management consultants  N/A

9. Professors, law or medical $101,000 and $102,000

10. Producers and directors, $83,000

All the salary figures are average annual earnings, from the BLS. So while one producer earns $19,000 a year running a small town theater company part-time, another one earns $205,000 for some big New York troupe or movie production company.

So how can you bring up your earnings so those new $100 bills will show up more often in your wallet? That sounds like a good subject for another blog post sometime soon. Or maybe a series of posts. So if you have great ideas on adding to your earnings, please send them my way.

Meanwhile, check out the amazing BLS document that is the statistical source for this. It’s chock full of data on 800 occupations, including quite a few that don’t earn $100 a day and a handful that earn $100 an hour but only in some locations.  Dentists in Alaska, for example, earn the highest average wage – and average $97.30 an hour, or $203,000 a year.  Anesthesiologists in Maryland and Kentucky earn $103 an hour or more, and they earn still higher wages in New Jersey and Washington state, though the BLS tables don’t give specifics.

As for me, I’d be happy to earn $100 an hour for my writing -  and hope to achieve that some day and for more than a few days. Just don’t expect me to don a surgical gown or wear a power tie or move to Alaska to collect it.

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If you want to see more on the new $100 bills, which debut to the public in February, check out the New York Times Bucks blog, or a video showing all the security details  and some music that would be right at home on the 4th of July. My prefered paper, The Washington Post , ran the Associated Press account on the new big bill.

It could be title inflation or education’s advantage. Or executive privilege. Or more responsibilities.

Whatever the reasons, an executive assistant makes a lot more than a secretary – about 60 percent more last year, according to Compensation Data annual pay survey

As they celebrate Administrative Professionals Week, the secretary has little to celebrate on the wage front. She averages just $31,300 a year  – or about $602 a week – according to Compensation Data’s 2009 survey of 5,300 employers.

Administrative assistants fares a bit better, earning $35,700 on average, or $687 a week.

Better still to work as an executive assistant , who makes an average of $49,600, or $954 a week.

Of course, the executive assistant job generally requires a bachelor’s degree and at least three years experience as an admin, while many secretaries can get hired with a high school diploma and a good recommendation.

The pay gap between the three sisters of admin jobs has existed for years, since at least 2004, Compensation Data’s surveys show.

The federal government’s Occupational Outlook Handbook also acknowledges the wide variety of salaries, reflecting varied skill levels and responsibilities. It shows a $11,000 median pay difference between secretary and executive secretary and administrative assistant  (who are joined in one group in the Labor Department reports). That gap grew by $1,000 or more in recent years.

Secretaries and administrative assistants are still one of the largest occupations in the United States, with 4.3 million workers in 2008. Of that, 1.59 million serve in higher paying executive and administrative assistants jobs, an increase of more than 10 percent over three or so years.

The fastest growing administrative job through 2018 will be medical secretaries, which will add 125,000 jobs for a 27 percent gain. Some of the openings, the government report notes, will result from admins leaving their profession, or getting promoted to higher and better paying jobs.

The best paying admin jobs are found at music / recording companies, securities exchange or brokerage houses or the executive branch of the federal government. Their annual paycheck tops others by a $11,000 a year or more, or more than 30 percent, the government reported.

So if you’re taking your secretary or admin to lunch this week, use the time to discuss her career goals and ways to build her skills. Or give her a professional membership or some educational reimbursement instead of flowers, OfficeTeam suggests. (It has a downloadable report called 25 Ways to Recognize Your Staff .)

Just don’t call her a secretary in handing out an assignment, a gift – or a raise.

This posting was adapted and updated from a Washington Post Working from three years ago. I hold the copyright on this article and all my blog posts.

Creating a first or second resume can seem like an impossible task to a 16- year old and his mother or father.

The youth has spent most of her time on the ice, playing hockey or figure skating, or on the courts, playing tennis or basketball, except when she’s on XBox Live with friends from around the world. Or maybe he’s a bookworm who would rather go to the library than any store and whose grades shine bright but whose social skills are a bit, er shy.

Why does a teen with no work experience need a resume anyway?  First off, it shows they’re serious about their job hunt. Second, it’s a chance to show off some talents that don’t fit neatly into the boxes on the online applications. Third, it gives the teen a start on a lifelong skill – career management and job hunts.

Start with three basic truths about a resume:

1. It is a sales tool, something that should make the person look good. That means singing your own praises and highlighting successes. So you include your GPA if it’s high and mighty and include your perfect attendance awards.

2. It represents you, as you want to be seen to an employer. Think of an employer as a cross between your parents, your strictest teacher and a really cool drama coach at summer camp – because they could be like any or all of those. Think of yourself as someone who is worth hiring – responsible, hard-working, bright and kind. So by all means mention fundraising for three mission trips and how you exceeded your goal by 200 percent. And if you’re really into hand made purses or swimming, show that – and think about the values and skills you’ve learned from it too.

3. It must be honest and truthful – not comprehensive. You can and should leave off some things – such as getting fired from a job or having to attend summer school because you failed Advanced Algebra. Just make sure there’s no glaring holes or omissions that would look strange or worrisome.

Now that you have that, let’s get started.

Figure out your skills and talents and abilities, the areas where you excel, writes Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D. of QuintCareers. His excellent career website offers a five-step worksheet to help Jrs. create their early resumes and a sample from Suzie Student of DeLand, Fl.

Start listing your talents and skills – and then when you have a bunch, ask three or five people for their list too. Tell them it’s for a resume and job hunt so they’ll think about the traits that will appeal to your future boss.

Ask yourself: Where have I made a difference? Who have I helped? It could be at your church or synagogue or with a club at school. It may be through the YMCA or Girl Scouts or a family friend’s small business.

Think about all the different ways you’ve worked – as a volunteer in your church or at a soup kitchen or in your aunt’s company; babysitting; lawn mowing; helping a teacher with a special project. Work experience can come from paid jobs or volunteer experiences. It can be picked up as a counselor in training at a summer camp or as helping organize the neighborhood picnic.

Ask yourself: What awards or honors have I received? What other recognitions can I mention?

I also found some fine advice on developing teen resumes on ReadWriteThink.org,  which provides teachers and students resources.

If you have more questions about resumes, JobDoggy, which focuses on part-time jobs for teens and college students, answers 10 key questions, suggesting students include jobs where they’ve been fired (and be prepared to answer questions honestly about that in the interview without trashing your former boss).

And a site called Got A Job offers lists of action words to use in your resume – from improved to founded to solved and more.

Ask yourself: Where have I demonstrated leadership?

Leadership skills also are important, NACE found, so if you were the president of the Key Club or captain of your track team, highlight that. And if you still are stuck as to what to put on your resume, go online and print out three job applications from companies in your area. When you fill them out, they’ll give you some more ideas.

This post is adapted from a WorkingKind article from May 2009.

Turn it on today.  It’s Tuesday -  and it’s the most productive day of the week.

That’s the view from the executive suite, and a 2008 Accountemps survey of 150 top managers at major companies. Some 57 percent picked the third day of the week  – yes, that’s Tuesday — as the day staffers really work at peak performance.

Mondays don’t make it because of all the catch-up and meetings, though they used to rate higher on productivity measures.

Forget about Fridays – those are the days when weekends beckon and some staffers are already missing.

And the other weekdays garnered barely one in 10 productivity picks.

Tuesday also was named the most productive day in Accountemps surveys in 2002, 1998 and 1987. The reason officials give: Tuesday’s efforts establish momentum for the rest of the week.

At Ruby Tuesday’s on Wisconsin Avenue in Washington, Tuesdays are one of the busiest days. “Tuesday is a day when they come out for lunch. Lunch is like the Wilson Bridge at the height of rush hour,” said assistant manager Mike Burke. “Everybody is trying to get into one space at one time.”

So staff move fast -  and customers mostly eat fast so they can get back to work and rev up their output.

If you’re looking to use your Tuesday wisely, consider the advice from Alicia Hicks, a B2B sales expert who writes SellingWoman. She suggests filling the day with “client meetings you are excited about, the kind where you have the best likelihood of leaving with a signed contract.”

Or consider the advice from Accountemps, when they proclaimed Tuesday’s importance:

• Sharpen your focus. Cluster tasks that require similar efforts or resources into one timeframe.
• Plan your day. Map out your desired accomplishments each morning.
• Don’t delay. Procrastination doesn’t work, so start chipping away at the chores.

My favorite productivity tool is a to do list – right there on a yellow pad I see everything I hope to accomplish for a day or two. And I’m also partial to a couple of productivity blogs, though too much time on them can eat into my productive Tuesdays or Thursdays. One I like is Stepcase’s LifeHack. Or check out a couple more Accountemps’  Tuesday  productivity tips here.

This posting was adapted and rewritten from a Working item I created for the Washington Post. I hold the copyright to these. In the interest of being more productive and thoughtful about reusing my writing, I am offering some of them on WorkingKind.

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