ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2006 > March
March 2006
Broken health care system?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The U.S. Health Care System has been declared to be broken and in need of a complete makeover from ground zero.
A recent Google search indicates that there are at least 7.5 million entries on the internet that support this position.
Job projections continue to indicate that the health care sector will be one of the strongest areas for job growth in the upcoming decade.
Whether you are a baby boomer who realizes that you will be a growing consumer of health care in the near future; a current health care professional working in the “broken” system; or a prospective health care professional of the future.
You have to consider the impact that maintaining the status quo or building a new system from the ashes of the old will have on your life and career opportunities.
If you had a crystal ball, what do you think will happen? Will we bite the bullet and make the changes needed or will the system blunder along into the future in a gradual deterioration?
Either of these scenarios will have a direct impact on the health care job market of the future.
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Every coin has two sides
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This is true about our strengths and our weaknesses. Consider asking yourself what you are most proud of in your career?
For me, it was an easy answer. I built my business on a meager amount of start-up money and now enjoy a thriving business 16 years later.
On one side of the coin, you might believe that I was “tenacious” and therefore committed to my success at all costs. In this light, tenacity could be considered a strength.
On the other side of the coin, you might also deduce that I was too “stubborn” to accept failure. This is also true and it reframes my strength as a potential weakness since I put myself through years of personal challenges to make my business succeed.
My advice is to learn the value of your strengths in your own career. Before launching your job search, make sure to craft a resume that communicates your strengths by highlighting prior success stories.
Be aware, though, of how a core strength may also become a weakness.
Not only will you likely be asked to reveal your greatest weakness in an interview, if you are clever you can demonstrate how this weakness is also one of your greatest strengths.
Understanding both sides of this ‘coin’ may help you earn more of them in your next job!
Women returning to work
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An overlooked talent resource? As the labor shortage continues to heat up, companies are seeking innovative and non-traditional solutions to securing the proper talent for their business employment needs.
It pains me when I see hiring managers pass over resumes of women desiring to return to work after they have left the workforce for any period of time whether to have children and be an at-home mom, or become a trailing spouse to their husband’s career.
I was at a dinner party recently, and I was sitting next to a woman whom I will call Cindy, whose husband is an executive of a global upscale hotel chain.
She talked about how his career caused their family to move from city to city over the last twenty years. They were finally settling down permanently in Atlanta and her children were in college.
This seemed like a perfect time to jump-start her postponed caree - she had a masters degree in industrial psychology and worked for a few years before she married and had children.
The problem was that most companies wanted to see a resume but she felt she had nothing to put on a resume since she had been a stay at home mom for so long. What did Cindy have to offer? What were her marketable skills?
After further conversation, I discovered that Cindy’s life experiences are very transferable, but you have to connect the dots to market yourself to hiring employers.
Here are some of her transferable skills that would be very useful to the right company:
Logistics expertise - after having moved her family seven different times from one city to another, she was an expert in handling logistics from interviewing and selecting the proper moving/relocation company to settling moving insurance claims.
Management skills - as a mother of three children each with different personalities and talents, Cindy had honed her management skills to motivate each to be the best that they could be. All of her children were successful in school and one was an aspiring Olympic gymnastics athlete.
Time management - each of Cindy’s children had different and complex schedules to be managed by her. She became an expert in multi-tasking schedules, transportation logistics, and recruiting resources to help her manage multiple busy schedules.
Organizational skills - Cindy was very active in civic affairs and was named the committee chair for several different volunteer groups over the years. She was routinely active as a board member of the PTA as well as the YWCA which she was able to connect with when moving to a new and strange city.
Leadership skills - Being named chair of a group by her peers demonstrates that others view her as an effective leader.
Relationship skills - This is probably Cindy’s greatest strength. As their family moved from city to city, Cindy would immediately determine how to best integrate her family into new social settings whether it was getting involved with school or non-profit associations.
The skills that Cindy has used in her life are what every company seeks along with the maturity to know how to make things work.
Wake up hiring managers and smell the coffee!! Here is a talent pool that is that can be a solution to a shrinking talent pool…give somebody a break!
More cuts: GM to lay off hundreds of U.S. workers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
General Motors Corp. announced today that it is laying off several hundreds of U.S. salaried workers in order to restore profitability within its North American operations.
According to The Associated Press, GM spokesman Robert Herta cannot provide an exact amount of lay offs ‘but said the cuts involve fewer than 500 workers at 30 locations across the United States, including factories and engineering centers.’
This is the second time GM has slashed jobs this year.
Read the full story here.
Does this announcement impact you? Does it mean big changes for Atlanta?
How can I land a job with an Employer of Choice?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It’s never been more important to ask yourself that question!
Plan for it before you start taking or looking for job interviews.
Organizations know that it’s time to become an Employer of Choice if they intend to hire and retain the best talent AND be successful in today’s economy.
Learn what an Employer of Choice is about and put together your strategy for landing in such an organization by reviewing these sites:
- Becoming an Employer of Choice
- A Journey to Excellence with The Disney Institute
- Choose the right employer
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The view from a cube
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Welcome to ajcjobs’ first ever blog!
We are pleased to announce that you can find the latest Atlanta career news and developments here. We hope that you enjoy reading this blog and possibly post a comment or two.
We have selected a number of local career experts to participate in this group blog because we hope that you will appreciate their experiences and advice.
Having said that, the main story in this Sunday’s Job section is about different office environments.
The story explores that fact that companies are now trying to jazz up their offices to boost creativity and comfort.
I don’t know about you but I have worked in some pretty boring work places. Do you know of any groovy offices in Atlanta? Has your company stepped up its efforts to revitalize its offices?
Do you find cubicles comforting or confining? Are you encouraged to personalize yours, or do the corporate masters frown on expressions of individuality? What’s life like in your cubicle city?
Chandra Fox
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Vice President, e-resume.net, Athens, Ga.
Chandra has played a key role in the growth and leadership of e-resume.net, the leading resume writing company on the Internet.
In addition, she has written articles for top job sites on the topics of interviewing, resumes, cover letters, negotiations and employment.
Her insights and articles have made the employment search easier and less frightening for job seekers throughout the world.
Prior to her position with e-resume.net, she worked with large multi-national companies including Con-Agra Foods and Georgia-Pacific.
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Gary Wheeler
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Owner of Gary Wheeler Coaching and Consulting
Gary Wheeler, SPHR, GPHR, CCP, CBP, is a business and executive coach and owns an HR Consulting practice.
As a coach to business owners and executives, Gary coaches leaders on improving all aspects of their business including sales, marketing, systems, people, organizational effectiveness and profitability.
Prior to becoming a business owner, Gary spent 24-years at United Parcel Service (UPS) working in various assignments that include strategic planning, operations, Industrial Engineering and Human Resources. He was also a manager and multi-unit manager for Shoney’s Big Boy and Pizza Hut restaurants.
Gary received a B.S in Human Resources and an MBA from the University of Maryland University College (UMUC). He also holds a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from George Washington University and holds several HR certifications.
Gary served four-years on the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), the certifying body for HR professionals in the U.S. as well as five years on WorldatWork’s Compensation Advisory Board, the leading compensation organization in the world. He was President of SHRM-Atlanta in 2005 and has been a board member since 2004. Gary has served as member of the Atlanta Community Food Bank Board since 2002.
Gary has spoken on a vast number of topics to business organizations, non-profit groups, colleges and government agencies. Most recently, Gary served as a guest adjunct professor at the University of Budapest in Budapest, Hungary.
For more information about Gary visit: Gary Wheeler Consulting.
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Joy Johnston
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Strategic Channel Manager
Joy Johnston serves the ajcjobs and ajchomefinder channels by brainstorming and implementing new web content ideas to engage readers and increase site traffic.
She was the About.com Guide to Atlanta from 2002-2008, and has also worked for AOL CityGuide and the Not for Tourists Guide to Atlanta.
Her areas of specialty include providing a wide range of information about Atlanta to visitors, residents and newcomers.
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