In the last blog post we looked at McDonald’s national hiring even that occurred on April 19, 2011 – since then the results have funneled in to media outlets rapidly. The fast food giant anticipated hiring 50,000 employees for its 14,000 stores across the country. Results have shown that the chain restaurant actually hired 24% more than projected with 62,000 new hires.

While this number may seem large it pales in comparison to the 938,000 that McDonald’s had to turn away. That’s right; McDonald’s received over one million applications. The company did not comment on how many of these jobs were management jobs, full time, or part time.

According to Bloomberg the number of applications for unemployment in the United States rose last week which is a sign that progress in the job market is lagging. So the exorbitant number of applicants for these entry-level restaurant positions should come as no surprise.

Working at McDonalds may not seem like the most ideal career choice for some, but unfortunately it may have been the only option available. Jobless claims are at a high in the last three months with 429,000. While it may seem bleak that McDonalds was only able to hire a percentage of the applicants, it is better than hiring no applicants. These entry level positions could ultimately lead to management positions for some of the new McDonald’s crew members.

McDonald’s may not seem like the most glamorous place to start a career, but many media outlets have reported that managerial salaries can sometimes exceed $50,000 after a certain amount of time with the company. McDonald’s has not revealed these average managerial salary but the Vancouver Sun reported that McDonald’s officials informed them that the average assistant manager annual salary was between $30,000 and $32,000

In the last week it has been impossible to look at management job related news without seeing the craze about McDonald’s national hiring event. The fast food chain that has restaurants around the world declared a hiring day nationwide on April 19, 2011 and anticipated hiring 50,000 new employees. McDonald’s officials believe that the hiring will not only lead to $1.6 billion in revenue but also stimulate the economy thanks to the formerly unemployed now having paychecks and paying income tax. Now that the hiring day is over there have been many interesting stories popping up in the news across the country.

The consensus in the news stories seems to be that far more people turned out for interview than there were spots available; but this did not deter applicants from applying. The open positions included grill cooks, specialty drink makers, assistant managers, managers, and a variety of other positions that are needed for the restaurants to run effectively. Some of the applicants were fresh-faced teenagers while others were workplace veterans who had been laid off in recent years and needed an income to support their families.

While some of these jobs are entry level some of them are also management positions – which will pay about $50,000 after five years in the position. Being a fast food restaurant manager may not seem like it is the most glamorous career but according to an article in the Herald News one manager is very glad to have his job:

“(Manager Dennis) Rosenwinkel has been with the company for 30 years. He started working as a cook at a Bolingbrook McDonald’s when he was in high school.

“It’s a good company, very stable,” he said. “And with the economy being the way it is, I still have a job. That’s the thing. Nowadays, if you’re with a company five years, you’re lucky.”

McDonald’s is planning to release the total number of hires sometime next week.

Finding a job can be one of the most difficult thingsfor a person to do,especially a management job. The job hunting methods of yesteryear may have included mailing a resume and cover letter in an envelope with a stamp, but as technology changes the world daily it also changes what people must do when searching for their dream job. Instead of using “snail mail” people are now using e-mail to submit resumes, cover letters and portfolios. And people are no longer turning to the classified section of newspapers to find a job but instead using Internet job boards.

But there are other technological advances that job seekers must keep up with as well in order to land their dream job. It is important to add keywords to your resume that head hunters and employers are looking for when reviewing the mass of resumes online. These keywords will help employers notice your resume before the others that do not contain the words. If you are not sure what keywords you should use on your resume review job postings in your field and look for frequently repeated words.

When taking some modern practices into your resume building there are some that you should leave behind. Do not include emoticons, text message lingo, or an abundance of exclamation points in your resume. And you may think that the names of word documents or PDFs may not matter all that much it is important to give your resume a document file name that human resources managers will remember and associate with your resume – try including your full name in the title. If you just call it “resume” it may get lost in the shuffle.

While advancing into the age of technology with your job search may seem intimidating it is actually something that is simple and will make your search easier. So remember to give your resume a technology refresher before submitting it for that next dream job.

If you ask any recent college graduate how they feel about the job market or how the job hunt is going you may get a dismal reply. With more college graduates being unemployed now than ever their dismay should come as no surprise. Moving back home with parents and taking jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree can be disheartening to some. Not to mention the cost of graduate school, which has become a resort for those who are unable to find jobs.

But according to The Philadelphia Inquirer the job market is beginning to turn around for new graduates. Two polls conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers has projected that hiring for the class of 2011 is going to be up about 13 percent from last year. Many employers, including Enterprise Rent-A-Car and TD Bank, have announced that they would be hiring numerous entry-level candidates this year.

I know this has been stressed before in this blog, but one of the most beneficial things you can do in a job search is to network. While your education and experience may make you qualified for a position there is a chance that there are dozens of other applicants who are equally as qualified. Networking will keep you a step ahead of the competition when searching for a job. If you know someone who works for your dream company don’t hesitate to ask them to pass on your resume if possible.

With a wealth of jobs opening up this year compared to previous years there is a good chance that the job market will be more competitive than ever. Not only will the class of 2011 be applying for jobs, but also the classes of 2010, 2009 and 2008 who may have a bit more experience than recent graduates. Unfortunately a lot of jobs today, even those that claim to be entry-level, require a year or two of experience. This often means taking internships or fellowships, so do not exclude these types of positions in your search.

Because of this competition it is important to stand out in your interview and to get noticed in a positive way. Interviewers often see dozens, if not more, applicants for one position so it is important to differentiate yourself from the pack. Even though you may not earn the position you will stick in the mind of the interviewer, possibly leading to more networking possibilities.

It’s that time of year again, when recently revamped resumes are going to begin flooding the job market from new college graduates. The job search has began for this group of young people who are hardworking and eager to begin their careers.

For many students employment may be an abyss they did not think of until smiling for a photo in their cap and gown. But the day has come; it is time for students to earn their first “real jobs”. With unemployment for college graduates being higher than it has in the past decade though the outlook could seem bleak. But it does not have to be that way!

In recent weeks I have found dozens of articles providing tips on job hunting for recent college graduate. One blog created an excellent top ten job hunting tips list for the recent college graduate.

1. Make sure your resume is posted on the major job boards.

2. Make sure you use relevant keywords, including courses, on your resume in the format employers would search for.

3. Clean up your Facebook profile, especially if you have photos you wouldn’t want future employers seeing.

4. Join LinkedIn and create professional contacts to network effectively.

5. Network at every chance – you never know when a job is around the corner.

6. Utilize Internet job boards

7. While Internet job boards are an excellent tool also utilize the social skills you gained in college by attending career fairs, alumni events and other possible venues for networking.

8. Consider taking courses if you can afford it to make yourself more marketable

9. Set reasonable expectations for yourself – don’t be disappointed if you don’t earn the first (or second) job you apply for. Remember, finding a job as a recent college graduate is going to be harder than it has been in years

10. And finally remember to be optimistic! Having a positive attitude will show at job interviews and could lead to being hired.

Happy job hunting!

There have been a lot of stories about job trends over the past few weeks. I’ve written about the disparities between men and women and how the rate of females in management positions has remained stagnant over the last decade. This week, another trend has emerged among the unemployed – their old jobs now require more skills than ever before. A story from the Associated Press highlights this new trend that the unemployed are trying to buck against:

“The jobs crisis has brought an unwelcome discovery for many unemployed Americans: Job openings in their old fields exist. Yet they no longer qualify for them. They’re running into a trend that took root during the recession. Companies became more productive by doing more with fewer workers. Some asked staffers to take on a broader array of duties — duties that used to be spread among multiple jobs. Now, someone who hopes to get those jobs must meet the new requirements.”

The story gives some examples of these changes for workers – database administrators have to know how to manage network security, financial analysis is now a part of accounting and some factory workers need to be able to program machinery computers. It’s getting significantly more difficult for the unemployed to get their old jobs, even if they can find the openings in their job search:

“The total number of job openings does remain historically low: 3.2 million, down from 4.4 million before the recession. But the number of openings has surged 37 percent in the past year. And yet the unemployment rate has actually risen during that time. Companies still aren’t finding it easy to fill job vacancies.”

The moral of this trend is to make sure that you keep abreast of new skills and tools in your particular field. You may not be able to get the hands-on experience you need to expand with these skills, but you’ll have a better shot at the getting the job if you know what you’re talking about.

Last week, we discussed a worrisome trend in the management world – the lack of growth for women seeking management positions. From 2000 to 2007, there has only been a small increase from 39 percent to 40 percent. Surprisingly, that trend carried over to non-management positions as well, which held at 49 percent over the same seven years. More concerning was the report stating that women make only 79 cents of every dollar that men make in the same job.

This is why it should be no surprise to read this report from PhysOrg, which says that women in executive positions are twice as likely to leave their jobs as the men in the same positions. According to the piece:

“About 7.2 percent of women executives in the survey left their jobs, compared to 3.8 percent of men. Both the voluntary rates (4.3 percent versus 2.8 percent for men) and the involuntary rates (2.9 versus 0.9 percent) were higher for women executives.”

There was one surprising element to the study and consequent report – the higher rate of women leaving did not sync up with any patterns of gender discrimination, like that seen in the CNN report from last week’s blog post:

“‘We really had to dig deep to tease out any systematic patterns behind these departures,” [lead author John] Becker-Blease said. “We did find that women were slightly more likely to leave smaller firms, and firms with more male-dominated boards, but this was a small effect size.’”

I find this data rather odd, considering how issues of gender discrimination seem to permeate the modern workplace. With President Obama signing the law into effect that makes this type of discrimination harder to get away with, I wonder if there will be any change with these horrendous trends. Women should stay alert to this cause during their next job search.

A main theme of this blog is the difficulty of finding any kind of work during a job search, particularly during the past few years of an economic downturn and recession. Job growth has been slow at best, even with a stimulus package, and unemployment rates continue to hover around 10 percent, even higher at some state levels. Not surprisingly, management positions have been difficult to come by, but most people have been able to stay in these positions.

One of the more depressing (and surprising) facts about the job growth rates is how little they have affected women in management roles. A report from CNN says the rate of women moving up to management levels is stagnant, despite some growth in sectors that require management. This is according to a report from the Government Accountability Office:

“Women held 40% of management jobs in 2007, compared to 39% in 2000. By comparison, the number of women in nonmanagement positions held steady at 49% over the same time period. Commissioned by the Joint Economic Committee, the analysis is based on data from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and is broken down into 13 industry sectors. The retail trade industry had the largest gap between women in the number of women in managerial (36%) and nonmanagement jobs (51%).”

Another disconcerting factor regarding female growth in the job market is the reduction in pay that women take compared to men. The CNN report states that women only make 79 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts make. Anyone with claims that pay has not been equal has legal reproach, due to a bill signed by President Barack Obama:

“In 2009, President Obama signed The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which gives workers alleging unequal pay the right to sue within 180 days of their most recent paycheck.”

In an economy as weak as the North American market, any and all work is a good thing; if only to supplement your family’s financial situation. Even though there is a shortage of job choices, there are still plenty of jobs for young adults and teenagers floating around. The opportunities for elderly persons however are much, much more difficult to find and keep.

Once you’ve past a certain age, the job search becomes devilishly hard because companies are seeking out younger workers that will be around for longer amounts of work time. Luckily for adults aged 55 and older, this week is National Employ Older Workers Week, when companies are supposed to provide specific activities for older workers to draw them in and give them opportunities at workplaces.

The most surprising part about this story (from Michigan Live) is the attitude that companies have towards younger workers as opposed to people over 55:

“By 2014, 41 percent of Americans 55 or older will be employed, making up over 21 percent of the U.S. labor force, according to the DOL. And the Committee on Economic Development indicates that employers rate older workers high on characteristics such as judgment, commitment to quality, attendance, and punctuality.”

The striking piece of this quote is the percentage of 55 year olds expected to have jobs by 2014 and also the values and talents that older workers possess that companies want. The fact that there is a national week (which is going on until Friday) to bring out older workers proves the total worth of having 50-somethings in the workplace. This week of national job activism is a strange idea, but an important one as well. It makes our roles clearer in the workplace.

Is this a symptom of a larger problem abroad besides the economy or are younger workers simply not as valuable as older, more experienced workers?

It’s a well-known fact that the job market is not what it should be in America. Unemployment rates are hovering around ten percent and although job creation seems to be happening, layoffs are rendering those statistics as a moot point. How are we supposed to cope with the lack of positions that use our college degrees? Where are the management jobs?

Over the past few days, I have noticed a slew of articles from sources like the New York Times discussing the dire straits that college-bound students face after graduation. Depending on a number of socio-economical factors, students can be faced with debts of up to 150 thousand dollars upon receiving their bachelor’s degrees, even with financial assistance. More and more, it seems that the emphasis is being placed not as much on education, but on the title you receive once courses are completed.

Is it worth the money? What about the jobs that do have degree requirements? High school graduates in Maine will have no problem over the next decade getting jobs, seeing as Maine will soon have the lowest share of jobs needing a degree in New England. According to a report from Georgetown University:

“[I]n eight years, 59 percent of jobs in Maine will require a college education or its equivalent. The report found that retirement and job growth will create 2.3 million job vacancies in New England in 2018, with 66 percent, or 1.5 million jobs, requiring a college, associate or graduate degree.”

This is a rather startling statistic – no more than 40 percent of Maine’s future workers are going to need any further education past high school. Odds are that with the enormous costs of college and the debt incurred, many students across the country will make the choice not to go. In New England, their best bet will be in Maine.