thecareerbeat.com Blog

Be careful what you view online at work!

In case you need an example of why you shouldn’t look at racy items on your computer at work, check out this video clip.  A man in the background doesn’t realize (until late) that his screen is visible to a TV audience…

It’s hard to tell if the photos are racy, but his surprised look back once he realizes the camera is rolling says it all. (via Towleroad)

UPDATE: The man with wandering eyes — a bank employee — will get to keep his job.

A job-board ad you won’t see on TV

There’s an interesting post today on ERE.net about the ad rivalry between Monster and CareerBuilder that’s been taking place every year during that big football game that many people watch for commercials.

The post includes this ad that CareerBuilder wisely passed on…

Thoughts?

Talk about a fun career…

Tracey Ullman has made a great career of impersonating people as a way to make audiences laugh.  Her characterizations sometimes make for a bit of satire — it’s not mindless humor.

The new show looks like another milestone for her, and I can’t wait to see it!  She gives a little preview in the clip below…

Video: Job market update

Here is a clip of my appearance last week on ABC News Now, talking about the latest unemployment report and the Yahoo! HotJobs survey results about job seeker pessimism:

ABC News clip

Some decent news on the December unemployment figures

One of the first headlines I saw after the government’s report on unemployment this morning was: “Job creation hopes dashed in December.” And the loss of 85,000 jobs was treated as a huge disappointment.

Really?! Did economists really expect positive job growth in December? The fact that the number was under 100K was still a sign that we’re going in the right direction, and the 4^th quarter monthly average (about 70K) is much lower than any quarter in 2009.

And the fact that the Bureau of Labor Statistics revised November’s numbers so that jobs were actually CREATED (+4K) was a big surprise.  I never expected to see a month in 2009 with an overall job gain.

Of course, losing thousands of jobs is still bad, and nobody is happy that the unemployment rate stayed at 10 percent.

But with more gains in health care (+35K), professional and business services (+50K), and temporary jobs (+47K), we have some hopeful indication that, overall, the job market is moving in the right direction.  It’s not as fast as many would like, but change is usually gradual.

And other factors may be adding to that gradual improvement in 2010:

• 1 in 3 hiring managers and recruiters said they expect to increase hiring in 2010 over last year. (Yahoo! HotJobs survey)
• Hiring will make moderate strides in January. Though job opportunities remain limited, January marks the third straight month that hiring will exceed layoffs on an annual basis in manufacturing and services. (Society of Human Resources Management)

Scrooge wouldn’t recognize these workplaces

While 2009 brought widespread salary cuts and freezes that created new empathy for Bob Cratchit, the holiday spirit is melting plenty of cold hearts in the workplace. Nearly half of workers plan to give gifts to colleagues, says a new survey.

The OfficeTeam staffing firm found that 48% of employed adults plan to get a present for a colleague, and 34% intend to give a gift to the boss.  And many expect nothing in return: Only 36% expect a gift from a coworker, 29% expect one from the boss.

The season of giving is alive and well at the office.

Of course, exchanging gifts in the work setting requires good judgment. “When choosing presents for colleagues, it’s important to be thoughtful and appropriate,” says Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. “New employees should check in with tenured staff for insight into prevailing customs.”

OfficeTeam offers some helpful “don’ts” to guide your choices:

• Don’t give overly personal gifts, such as jewelry, to those you don’t know well.
• Don’t pick a controversial or inappropriate gift (e.g. religious-themed gift).
• Don’t scramble to reciprocate if given an unexpected gift.

Here are some articles that also offer good advice:

• Client and Coworker Gifts on a Budget
• Should the Boss Be on Your Holiday Gift List?
• FAQ for Office Gift Giving

Movie of the moment: ‘Up in the Air’

This new comedy with bleak undertones follows a dashing corporate downsizer (George Clooney) as he flies around the country to do the dirty work of handing out pink slips.  The film also examines the impact of being laid off, dramatized by several characters at various points in the film.

I haven’t seen it yet (can’t wait), but here’s what some reviewers say:

“Crisply funny and fleetly paced, it’s in its quiet way one of the saddest things in the theaters all year. … It soars.” (Amy Biancolli, SF Chronicle)

“One of the pleasures of “Up in the Air” is that its actresses — including Anna Kendrick, who plays Bingham’s colleague Natalie — share the frame with Mr. Clooney as equals, not props.” (Manohla Dargis, NY Times)

“It’s a rare and sparkling gem of a movie.” (Owen Glieberman, Entertainment Weekly)

BLS on the bright side: November 2009

I had the idea last night to do a quick monthly take on the positive aspects of the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly report of the employment situation, since they are often not reported.

Little did I know that today’s data for November would be such a welcome surprise. The report was the most positive since December 2007.

Quick highlights:

• Unemployment dropped to 10% from 10.2% last month.
• Total job losses were 11,000.
• Temp jobs were up 52K (part of an overall business svcs increase of 86K).
• Health care jobs up 40K; department stores added 8K jobs.
• Job losses were revised significantly downward for Oct (111K from 190K) and Sept (139K from 239K).

I may add more highlights as I spend more time looking at the report.

Small indicators of better news on jobs front

Days before the government releases unemployment data for the month of November, a few harbingers have spread some hopeful news:

* The ADP National Employment Report shows that nonfarm private employment decreased by 169,000 jobs.  It’s the eighth consecutive month of declines in job losses.

* Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported employers announced fewer job cuts in November (50,349) than in any month since December 2007.

* The Conference Board reported an increase in job openings for November, up 106,500.  That follows a drop of 82,300 in October.

Some economists are predicting that unemployment for the month of November will remain flat at 10.2 percent.  That’s not exactly “Joy to the World” news, but I’ll take it.  Here’s hoping!

Risky business: online shopping at work

The temptation to shop online while at work gets much stronger at this time of year. Despite the known risks, many of us do it on the sly anyway — like using a cell phone while driving.

In fact, 1 in 5 workers (21%) said they will shop online for holiday gifts this year while working. The statistic comes from a new survey, conducted by financial staffing firm Accountemps, that was released a week before Cyber Monday — typically the biggest day of the year for online shopping.

After Cyber Monday last year, 41% percent of Yahoo! HotJobs users said in an online poll that they had made a personal online purchase while on the job.

Shopping at work may violate workplace policy for many employers, but the rule is often hard to enforce.  And it’s so easy to pop over to a retailer’s site and knock off a few stocker stuffers from your list, right?

Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of “Job Hunting for Dummies,” has some good words of caution:

“While some companies look the other way when employees browse retail sites in moderation, online shopping is frequently against company policy. Workers need to familiarize themselves with their firm’s rules on acceptable Internet use during business hours and follow these guidelines throughout the year.”

To help minimize your risks, check out some of the useful ideas in the article “Cyber Monday Survival Tips for the Office.”

Here’s a good one from Charlie Graham, CEO of Shop It To Me: “Arrive at work early on Cyber Monday to do quick sales checks. Then, shop on your lunch hour, during breaks, or at the end of the work day.”

And here’s another, courtesy of yours truly: “Ask yourself, ‘Is the discount I’ll get right now on this scarf worth getting fired?’”