Archive for the ‘ajcjobs’ Category

Almost everyone agrees that the men and women in uniform deserve our support while they’re serving in the U.S. military. But what about when those folks are transitioning from the military to a civilian life?

The people at RecruitMilitary LLC, want to help. The Cincinnati-based organization – along with The American Legion, Purple Heart Services and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network – is producing the RecruitMilitary Opportunity Expo, which will be at Atlanta’s Turner Field on Feb. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The free event is an opportunity for military veterans and their spouses to interview and network with more than 30 veteran-friendly employers and educational institutions. Among those scheduled to attend the expo are Accenture, AutoNation, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Columbia Southern University, Combined Insurance, DeVry University, First Command Financial Services, The Geo Group, Grand Canyon University, Homeland Security Solutions, HouseMaster …

Continue reading Employers step up to the plate for veterans at Turner Field »

Everybody’s been there. You drag yourself to work, pour a cup of coffee, sit at your desk, gird yourself for another day and there he is – the boss. No, not Bruce Springsteen; this one’s a nightmare – a George Steinbrenner, Donald Trump and Mr. Burns all rolled into one.

This guy wasn’t good at the job when he was a rank-and-file worker. He backstabbed, played cut-throat office politics and smooched a bevy of backsides on his way to the top. He doesn’t have a clue about how to get the job done well and now he manages you.

Downsizing, budget cuts and increasing pressure to do more with less has made the workplace tough enough without having to deal with an overbearing boss. The fear of losing your job and looking for another one in this tough job market means you’ll just have to deal with your bully boss.

All is not lost. There are plenty of books on the subject. Here are a few that might help: “A Survival Guide for Working With Bad Bosses: Dealing With Bullies, …

Continue reading Tell us about your bad boss »

It’s that time again. Football junkies have studied reams of stats, drafted players, sweated out injury reports and set their lineups for the opening of the NFL season on Thursday night.

I’m not talking about the select group of NFL coaches and general managers who do that for a living; I’m referring to the millions of fantasy football players who live and die with the performance of their teams each week. To the uninitiated, fantasy football allows participants to draft NFL players and play opponents in games where the outcome is based on player statistics for each week.

What was once regarded as a hobby for dateless football geeks has become a burgeoning industry. Fantasy football is big business, with a host of TV shows, magazines and Web sites devoted to the “sport.”

Many fanatics play in leagues that are organized among co-workers. Although playing fantasy football can distract workers from their tasks, it’s a great way to bond, compete and talk trash with the …

Continue reading Are you ready for some fantasy football? »

By Alaya Boykin

We all need to make ourselves more marketable. Most of us in the work force are focused on constant movement up the career ladder. Branding may be one of the most effective strategies to keep from the falling into a malaise of complacency.

Branding can make or break you. Take Tiger Woods, for example. No one protected their brand like Woods. So what broke him? Let’s just say your actions have to line up with the perceived image of your brand, otherwise, people (employers) won’t invest in you.

At a conference I attended last week, a presenter suggested coming up with three words that you want your brand to express. Once coming up with the words, ask your co-workers, supervisors, friends and family if this is how they perceive you. Are you projecting those words as your brand?

How are you creating your brand? What are some ways you protect it? Is branding working for or against you in the workplace?

— AJC Jobs on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ajcjobs

Continue reading What’s your brand? »

After four, five or more years of hitting the books in the ivy-covered halls and havens of higher learning, students are turning their tassels, graduating and gearing up to enter the real world of work. Or are they?

It’s no picnic to graduate during one of the toughest job markets in recent history. Despite signs of improvement on the jobs front, new college grads face challenges they weren’t counting on when they started school as wide-eyed freshmen.

Many employers are reluctant to hire inexperienced workers when they have seasoned employees putting retirement plans on hold and hanging onto their jobs like grim death. How do you get that experience when it’s hard to get a foot in the door?

Are you a recent or soon-to-be college graduate? Have you found a job in your field? Have you even scored a job interview? Are you going back to your summer lifeguarding gig? Maybe you’re headed to graduate school and waiting for a better job market down the road.

Or worse, are you …

Continue reading So you’ve got a diploma. What about a job? »

The unemployed aren’t the only ones looking for work these days. Rising cost of living, pay cuts, frozen wages, dwindling retirement accounts and other budget-stretching factors have caused many full-time workers to seek additional sources of income. Even some small-business owners are moonlighting as a way to keep their companies afloat.

Making ends meet in any economy – let alone a challenging one – is tough enough for many people. Some employers may be reluctant to allow full-time employees to hold second jobs because they fear that the additional hours could lead to on-the-job fatigue and poor performance.

If you’re a full-timer with a second job, what kind of side work are you doing? Is your current employer supportive of the “other” job? What impact has it had on your family, professional and social life?

Follow AJC Jobs on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ajcjobs

Continue reading Earning extra cash from a second job? »

March Madness. The Big Dance. Whatever you want to call it, the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament is in full swing. Besides being one of the most popular sporting events of the year, the tournament also spawns office betting pools galore.

In workplaces around the nation employees have filled out brackets, guessed who this year’s Cinderella teams are and even have called in sick and watch games from the comfort of their couches or favorite watering holes?

What’s your company’s policy on office pools? Are they allowed? Are they banned and your boss just looks the other way? Do office pools reduce productivity or do they boost morale?

What about watching tournament games on TV or following them online during work hours?

Continue reading Office pools: Harmless fun or productivity-killing distractions? »

Layoffs and downsizing have caused many workers to broaden their skills and improve their job prospects by going back to school.

Enrollment at Georgia’s universities, colleges and technical schools is at an all-time high. There are more than 300,000 students enrolled in University System of Georgia campuses, an increase of more than 50,000 from 2004. Almost 38,000 of those students are older than 25, and many higher educational officials expect that trend to continue.

With 28 campuses and 600 programs aimed at placing graduates in high-demand jobs, the Technical College System of Georgia is growing even more quickly. A record 109,548 students are enrolled in state technical schools this quarter, a 26 percent jump compared to 2009.

Has the job market sent you back to the classroom to improve your marketability? Do you think it will help you find a better job?

Continue reading Out of work and back to school? »

By now you’ve probably heard about Glenn Duffy, the air traffic controller who twice last month let his children direct pilots at New York City’s JFK Airport. Duffy and his supervisor have been suspended with pay pending a Federal Aviation Administration investigation, while the kids are now presumably left without access to one of the world’s coolest offices.

The events have ignited yet another flight safety debate. Released audio recordings of the JFK incidents suggest an overly permissive “Airplane”-esque environment led by someone resembling Lloyd Bridges – at least to the average air traveler. However, a number of pilots have expressed disbelief over the controversy, calling it a non-issue since Duffy never actually relinquished command of the process.

Is it a big deal or a big problem? What are your thoughts on bringing children to work in general? Is it a nuisance or a valuable teaching tool?

AJC Jobs on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ajcjobs

Continue reading Kids at the office: Good or bad idea? »

So much of our national conversation about job placement focuses on training these days. We’ve spent an awful lot of time – and money – on the question of which degree or certificate is better, and much less attention on the fundamental question underpinning the training issue: Which skills should workers have?

In an ideal world, training would equal skills development; but the fact is, school-based training programs can only approximate the skills any particular employer needs in its workers. Sadly, the best-case scenario, workplace-based training, may be a thing of the past as employers eliminate expenses.

Working Strategies by Amy Lindgren

The ever-present question, “Which is the right training program?” really needs to be replaced by a better, more productive question: “Which employers am I targeting and which skills do they need?”

Let’s start over with some basic information and the questions you will need to bring to employers. First, remember my …

Continue reading Working Strategies: Know skills you need and how to get them »