JOB BLOG from BROKERHUNTER

Weekly Job Update

Our Weekly Job Update for February 18 - 24, 2008 is now online.

click to view

BROKERHUNTER.com has been named "BEST of the BEST" for employment websites in Finance, Accounting and Banking, by Job-Hunt.org.

Selection to this prestigious list is based upon functionality, resources and respect for job seekers, according to Editor Susan P. Joyce.

Steve Testerman, president of BROKERHUNTER.com said, "BROKERHUNTER.com has worked hard over the past 8 years since the launch of our site, to provide a service to job seekers in the financial advisory areas of banks, insurance companies and securities firms and we are pleased to be honored by such a well-respected organization as Job-Hunt.org for these efforts"

About Job-Hunt.org

Job-Hunt links to over 9,500 employers and career resources. It is one of Richard ("What Color Is Your Parachute") Bolles' favorite "employment gateway" sites. Job-Hunt is also recommended in many books (What Color Is Your Parachute - 2008, Knock 'em Dead, Internet Job Search Guide, Dummies Guide to Resumes, etc.), magazines, and Websites. Job-Hunt helps millions of people every year find employment.

Job-Hunt.org is an award-winning site:

• Forbes Best of the Web for Job-Hunting continuously since 2002
• US News & World Report "top site for finding work" since 2006
• PC Magazine Best of the Internet for Careers (2004, book)
• Currently Job-Hunt links to over 9,500 employers and career resources on the web and helps millions of people each year find employment.

The purpose of the Job-Hunt.Org Web site is to provide the most comprehensive listing of useful Internet-accessible job-search resources and services on the Web, in a format which is most useful to job seekers.

Thousands of Web sites claim to provide great service for job seekers and employers, with dazzling whiz-bang technology, hundreds or thousands of job openings, great applicant/employer matching services, and more. Sadly, many times, it isn't true.

At Job-Hunt.Org, we are attempting to bring only the best sites to your attention. You may find longer lists of job sites, but you won't find a better selection of job sites.

About BrokerHunter.com:

BROKERHUNTER.com,(www.BrokerHunter.com) launched in May of 2000, is the leading Financial Services Employment Internet website in the Nation. There are over 60,000 candidates and 2,000 job postings from hundreds of branches and firms across the Nation on our site. For information on industry employment/recruiting issues and trends please contact us directly at sales@brokerhunter.com. BrokerHunter.com is based in Atlanta.

Just Do It!

“According to Nike company lore, one of the most famous and easily recognized slogans in advertising history was coined at a 1988 meeting of Nike’s ad agency Wieden and Kennedy and a group of Nike employees. Dan Weiden, speaking admiringly of Nike’s can-do attitude, reportedly said, ‘You Nike guys, you just do it.’ The rest, as they say, is (advertising) history”

In the sports world these three words, “Just Do It” ring true, but too often in the business arena job seekers fail to recognize the value of an active, “grab the bull by the horns” strategy.  Perhaps we have been lulled to sleep by the electronic media; where resumes can be blasted to thousands of companies by email, or by the ease and speed of application to jobs - by clicking a mouse finger.

Whatever the reason, I am often asked by job candidates something like “How can a find a job in my [insert your home town here], there aren’t any job postings?”  My answer is invariably the same and the feedback I get (or should I say the lack thereof) is usually predictable also.  Here is how my half of the conversation goes:

“You need to use all the methods available to find a job; Internet, Check the newspaper ads, make sure all of your friends and associates know that you are looking for a job and ask them for ideas.  Lastly, and maybe the best way is to put on your best business outfit, you know ‘Dress for Success’ and then just show up at firms and companies where you want to work and ask for the branch manager.”

Most of the time, I get a moment of silence on the other end, as if the candidate is thinking of it in the same way one might mull over the idea of running wind sprints or swimming 20 laps at the pool.  Hmmmm, that sounds like it might be healthy, but it is so much work and, frankly, scary.

The fact is that it is a bit intimidating to cold call in person; that’s why so few people even try it.  But it is for this very reason, that it is so effective; you are demonstrating the skills and nerve that employers universally applaud.  This is especially effective if you are looking for a job in sales - but, guess what, it works for all job types!

Have you tried it yet?  If not remember the words of a great philosopher of the 20th Century  -

“Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda

Just do it and let me know how it goes.

Steve 

Employment Report for January 2008

Overall

For the first time in over 4 years, the U.S. labor force lost jobs in January, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In their report released on February 1 - total non-farm payrolls contracted by a preliminary estimate of 17,000 jobs. Economists had been predicting growth of 85,000 jobs. Therefore the surprising weakness strengthens arguments that we are heading for, or are already in, a recession.

The FED is thought by some, to behind the power curve and is struggling to react to the situation with some of the most aggressive rate cutting in history; taking the fed funds rate to 3% - and with more cuts becoming likely with each new weak economic report.

Securities Industry

In an act of gravity-defying levitation - the securities industry added 7,800 jobs against heavily revised numbers for all sectors; including securities and insurance job classifications. The revisions were part of the annual benchmark process and for the securities industry extended back as far as April of 2006 and increased the employment figures across the board for every month since then. This month's chart reflects these revisions.

Conversely the insurance sector was hit with a decline of 12,700 jobs or .5% of the total workforce. While detailed breakdowns are not available with this report, it seems likely that the weakness was mostly in the area of "non-life and health". In other words, property and casualty and housing related insurance areas may have been a major contributor due to the downturn in real estate and new home construction.

Weekly Job Update

Your Weekly Job Update is online.

Please click here to view the February 5 edition.