IT Regional Systems Coordinator

Description

The IT Regional Systems Coordinator (RSC) is a member of the IT Department who works in an office other than San Francisco, the Firm's headquarters. (Littler Mendelson is a national law firm with multiple offices throughout the United States.) An RSC is assigned to one or more offices. Office assignments are based on the size and location of the office(s).

 

The RSC provides a variety of IT-related services to their region, including application and technical support, user training, equipment procurement and management and process development.

 

The RSC is the liaison between the IT Department and their region. In this capacity, they are tasked with ensuring that the offices and users in their region are receiving the products and services provided by the IT Department in a manner consistent throughout the Firm. The RSC reports to the IT Operations Manager in San Francisco and works closely with each Office Administrator in their region. The RSC carries a cell phone and/or Blackberry provided by the Firm for communication and escalation purposes as necessary.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Essential Job Functions: Duties and responsibilities which are necessary for successful job performance:

1.    APPLICATION SUPPORT: As appropriate, provide or coordinate end-user support for Firm-standard applications. (Note: All initial requests for support are normally directed by the user to the IT Help Desk in SF, who will then involve the RSC as necessary.)

2.  TRAINING SERVICES: Deliver Firm-standard new user training, utilizing the specific curriculum and materials developed by the Training Department. Coordinate and/or deliver other user training in accordance with the needs of the office and/or department.

3.  TECHNICAL SUPPORT: As appropriate, provide or coordinate basic support, installation services, and maintenance for computer and network equipment provided by the Firm. Perform network-related support as requested by and under the direction of the Network Operations Department. 

4. HARDWARE SERVICES: Proactively identify equipment needs for each office and coordinate procurement of it in accordance with Department policies and procedures. This includes participating in a lead role during office openings, moves, and upgrades. The RSC must obtain equipment necessary for the move in a timely and cost-efficient manner. Maintain a current inventory of all IT-related equipment for each office following the specific tracking methodology provided by the IT Department.

 5. GENERAL SERVICES: As their IT representative, maintain a team-oriented relationship with each Office Administrator (OA) in the region to ensure that their IT-related needs are met in a timely, consistent, and supportive fashion.

-Function as liaison to IT-related vendors.

-Coordinate management and maintenance of loaner laptops and projectors as appropriate in each office.

-As appropriate, assist users in each office to follow and/or adhere to Firm policies and procedures regarding software, hardware and network.

-Direct requests for non-Firm standard software to the appropriate SF personnel for testing and approval before implementation.

-As required, provide on-site support for national and state conferences.

-As required, provide support in offices outside of assigned region.

-As required, participate in IT department projects and programs, including rollouts, upgrades, and modifications as assigned by IT Support Manager.

-Deliver and/or coordinate any of the above-mentioned services following all appropriate department policies and procedures. This includes issue ---reporting, tracking, and resolution by utilizing the problem tracking and remote support tools used by the Department.

 -Maintain computer and printer asset tracking information for assigned offices.

 6.  Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the job.

 

 KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

 1. Thorough knowledge of standard law firm applications (i.e., Microsoft Office, iManage, Interaction the Legal MacPac and/or DTE a plus) normally acquired through certified coursework or equivalent. College degree preferred.

 2. Three years of progressively responsible work experience with PC-based legal or professional services firm/organization in order to gain experience in resolving complex computer problems. Law firm experience a plus (legal support staff or technology position.)

 3. Must have at least one year of recent work experience in the technology field, either as a trainer or as support provider.

 4. Ability to demonstrate familiarity with LAN/WAN and computer networks. Hardware troubleshooting (intermediate to advanced levels of hardware support work a plus) experience. A basic understanding of networking concepts preferred but not required.

 5. Must be able to travel as necessary to provide equal and appropriate support to each office in the region. Additional travel as required, including Firm sponsored conferences, and to attend periodic meetings and training in San Francisco.

 6. Interpersonal skills necessary in order to maintain effective relationships with attorneys, and staff in person, by email, and telephone to provide information with ordinary courtesy and tact.

 7. Ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints with little supervision.

 8. Work occasionally requires a high level of mental effort and strain when performing essential duties. Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with time constraints, interruptions and stress.

 9. Work frequently requires more than 40 hours per week to perform the essential duties of the position.

 10. Work requires a reasonable amount of physical activity such as moving computers and printers and connecting cables under furniture. 

 
 

 EMPLOYMENT WITH LITTLER MENDELSON: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of the job and do not represent that all such duties will be performed by all individuals who hold the job. The list of duties is not exhaustive in that incumbents may be assigned other duties in addition to those shown. All employees of the firm are expected to:

 · Promote positive work habits, including effective and timely communication, teamwork and respect for co-workers.
·  Provide constructive guidance to other employees and representatives of third parties who do business with the firm.

·   Comply with safe work practices, including the use of safe work procedures, maintenance of a safe working area, and the use of safety equipment.

· Contribute to providing the highest quality of products and services to clients.

·   Understand and appropriately apply the firm's practices and procedures.

 SCOPE OF JOB DESCRIPTION AND MODIFICATIONS: This job description does not limit the tasks that an employee may reasonably be requested to perform. Substantive changes to this job description may be necessary to meet the changing business needs of the firm. Any substantive revisions to this job description require the approval of the CTO. Notwithstanding this Position Description, all Littler Mendelson employees are at-will employees – each may resign at any time and for any reason, and the firm is free to terminate the employee at any time, with or without cause and with or without notice.

 
 

Position Type:	Full Time
Travel Required:	10% of the time (approximate)

How to Apply

Contact by email please.

Company Information

Littler Mendelson, P.C.

3344 Peachtree Road, N.E.

Atlanta, GA 30326
US

Contact Information

Leslie Kaufman                (Add to Contacts)
Contact by email please.
(404) 233-0330
Fax (404) 920-3214

lkaufman@littler.com

 

Staff Accountant Opening at King and Spalding

Job Information

Description

King & Spalding is an international law firm with more than 880 lawyers in Abu Dhabi, Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Dubai, Frankfurt, Houston, London, New York, Riyadh (affiliated office), San Francisco, Silicon Valley and Washington, D.C., seeking a Senior Staff Accountant. The Senior Staff Accountant is responsible for maintaining the general ledger account, financial statements, creating budgets and updates for forecast, coordinating and reviewing sale & use, VAT, property tax, and other tax returns, processing and reviewing bank activity, maintaining budgeting software, and performing ad hoc confidential and time sensitive reports for the CFO and other executive level firm management. Requirements include a Bachelors Degree in Accounting and at least eight years of general ledger and accounting experience; at least three years at Senior accountant or lead accountant position. CPA and/or MBA preferred. Interested candidates should submit resumes to jobs@kslaw.com with "Sr Staff Accountant" in the subject line. EOE.

Position Type:	Full Time
Location:	Atlanta
Travel Required:	10% of the time (approximate)
Starts On:	11-Nov-08

Fix Housing First Bill

Here is a link to an article re: the Fix Housing First Bill:
http://www.atlantarealestateforum.com/support-the-fix-housing-first-bill-6469/

Potential Job Opportunities for IT Professionals

Two corporate giants to land Georgia government technology contracts


http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/11/10/daily64.html?f=et50&ana=e_du

Video: Hope for Housing Market?

Three Days of Red: Dow Plummets 411

As with some of the other economic news I post. This is not posted to depress you but to alert you that, if you are not paying attention to the economic climate in which you are currently or may soon be looking for a job, it is time to start paying attention

The markets collapsed under the weight of plunging retailers and free-falling financials on Wednesday, sending the Dow to its third consecutive losing session, Citigroup to all-time lows and crude oil to levels unseen since January 2007. The latest carnage on Wall Street was preceded by an ominous warning from Best Buy of a "seismic shift" in consumer behavior and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's announcement that the $700 billion rescue package won't be used for troubled assets after all. 

Today's Market

The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 411.30 points, or 4.73%, to 8282.66, the broader S&P 500 fell 46.65 points, or 5.19%, to 852.30 and the Nasdaq Composite slid 81.69 points, or 5.17%, to 1499.21. The consumer-friendly FOX 50 fell 35.42 points, or 5.15%, to 652.16. The markets have ended in the red in five out of the past six days, carving roughly 1,350 points from the Dow in the past week alone. The recent declines leave the benchmark U.S. index just a few hundred points away from its lowest level of the economic crisis."This is not a pretty picture right now. There is clearly investor concern that we may retest the lows," Michael James, senior equity trader at Wedbush Morgan Securities told FOX Business. 

All but one of the 30 components of the Dow lost at least 1% on Wednesday, led by American Express (AXP), which is reportedly seeking $3.5 billion from the government. Citigroup (C) plunged below $10 a share for the first time ever and General Electric (GE) fell sharply as well. The index's only winner was General Motors (GM), a company trading at 62-year lows and needs a massive government bailout to avoid a potential bankruptcy filing. The latest pessimistic comments on the economy came from Best Buy (BBY), which Wednesday morning cut its fiscal 2009 profit forecast and warned same-store sales could plunge as much as 15% in November following a 7.6% decline last month.

"Since mid-September, rapid, seismic changes in consumer behavior have created the most difficult climate we've ever seen," Best Buy CEO Brad Anderson said in a statement. The lower guidance from Best Buy comes just days after rival retailer Circuit City (CC) filed for bankruptcy protection. Best Buy's news weighed heavily on other retailers as Amazon.com (AMZN) and RadioShack (RSH) both plunged to 52-week lows on Wednesday.

Markets Spooked by TARP Changes

The markets were anything but soothed by Paulson, who on Wednesday disclosed major changes to the government's $700 billion financial rescue package, called the Troubled Asset Rescue Program. Paulson said the government no longer believes purchasing banks' toxic assets is "the most effective way to use TARP funds" -- even though that was the way the massive rescue package was sold to the public and lawmakers. Instead, the government will continue its current use of the funds to inject capital into financial companies. 

"I think that change made people a little more uncomfortable about the financials in general in terms of their stability. I think that's why you are seeing such dramatic weakness in the financials today," said James.  That weakness was most obvious in shares of Citi and Goldman Sachs (GS), both of which plummeted to fresh lows. 

"Our financial system remains fragile in the face of an economic downturn here and abroad, and financial institutions' balance sheets still hold significant illiquid assets. Market turmoil will not abate until the biggest part of the housing correction is behind us," said Paulson.  Paulson did not endorse using the TARP funds to help rescue Detroit's Big Three auto makers -- Ford (F), General Motors (GM) and privately-held Chrysler LLC -- that are burning cash at precarious rates. Instead, he said Congress could take legislative action to authorize the use of federal aid. 

Shares of the auto makers rose anyway as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has embraced the idea of providing help to the auto makers in a lame-duck session of Congress next week to prevent layoffs that could reach into the millions and further weaken the fledging economy. The executives of the Big Three auto makers and the United Auto Workers union are expected to testify on Capitol Hill on November 18, FOX News has learned.

Meanwhile, crude oil futures sank to their lowest levels in 22 months Wednesday despite a new report from the International Energy Administration warning global supplies won't keep up with growth without infrastructure investments. The price of a barrel of crude ended $3.17 lower to $56.16 -- the lowest level since January 2007. 

Crude futures, which have fallen 10% since Monday, are now off by 61% from all-time highs of $145 a barrel set in July. While consumers may cheer the plummeting energy prices, they are a stark reminder of expectations the economy will contract further in the months to come. 

Corporate Movers

American Express (AXP) is seeking roughly $3.5 billion under the government's rescue plan to counter slower consumer spending and rising defaults, The Wall Street Journal reported. It's not clear if the application came before or after AmEx converted to a bank-holding company on Monday, the newspaper reported.

Anheuser-Busch (BUD) shareholders signed off on the beverage giant's $52 billion deal to be sold to Belgian-Brazilian rival InBev (INBVF). Despite the current conditions, InBev said the deal, which still needs regulatory approval, remains on track to close by the end of the year. The new company, which is to be called Anheuser-Busch InBev, would be the world's largest brewer.

Macy's (M) reported a narrower-than-expected non-GAAP loss in the third quarter and backed its recently-lowered 2008 guidance. The department store operator lost 8 cents per share on an adjusted-basis, well above the 19 cent per share loss analysts expected. Macy's said sales slumped 7% to $5.5 billion.

Goldman Sachs (GS) CEO Lloyd Blankfein told investors the company's strategy won't change under its new status as a bank-holding company. Goldman's shares have plummeted in recent days on fears its new status will dampen its appetite for risk that has led to enormous profits in years past.

Microsoft (MSFT) is nearing a deal to pay up to $650 million over five years to become the default search engine on Verizon Wireless phones, The Wall Street Journal reported. Search leader Google (GOOG) is also competing for the deal with Verizon, which is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone (VOD).

World Markets

Major global indexes slumped across the board. In Europe, the Dow Jones Euro Stoxx 50 Index, which tracks the 50 largest companies on the continent, fell 82.87 points, or 3.34%, to 2400.74. London's FTSE 100 Index slid 64.67 points, or 1.52%, to 4182.02.

In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 Index fell 113.79 points, or 1.29%, to 8695.51 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index ended down by 101.81 points, or 0.73%, to 13939.09.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/futures-green-paulson-press-conference/

 

Outplacement Resources and Resume Assistance

I spoke with Drake, Beam and Morin last year to get information on support services available through their firm. They provided some detailed information and I posted it on November 26, 2007. Please use the archive section at the bottom of the main page or use the "post label" search option to find the information. Prices may have changed a little but should not be substantially different.

Affects of unemployment on the family

I am posting this because unemployment and, the fear of pending unemployment, can be very hard on a family. This downturn in the housing industry has been lengthy and stressful for so many people. Those who work in lending, closings, construction, vendors, so many people from so many areas have suffered. Some of you who still have jobs are experiencing stress related to wondering how long it will last and what you will do if/when it ends. A spouse may or may not understand the stress you are suffering and how you are coping. You may not understand how the stress you are experiencing is affecting your family.

While this seminar is not designed specifically to address the issues surrounding unemployment, it is a resource you may find helpful.

INTIMATE ENCOUNTERS MARRIAGE SEMINAR

Intimate Encounters is a 12-week series designed by Dr. David & Teresa Ferguson to help couples develop the skills needed to identify each spouse's primary needs and to meet those needs in order to foster a more profoundly intimate marriage that blesses each spouse and glorifies God.  During Intimate Encounters couples learn how utilize their marriage to meet their emotional, relational, and physical needs.

If you are married, seriously dating, or engaged join Major Boglin , Don McLaughlin , and Ken Snell for this life changing series.  At a minimum, it will enhance your marriage.  If your relationship is really struggling, this series may save it.

The sessions will be held (beginning December 3) at 7:15 p.m. in room 106.

No registration fee is required for this series, but each couple is encouraged to buy an Intimate Encounters workbook for $16.

Click [HERE] to register for the seminar.

Click [HERE] for more information or to sign up.

If you have additional questions, call the Genesis Center for Christian Counseling at 770-399-6333.

http://www.nacofc.org/

Money Saving Web Sites – Help for the Christmas Budget

ConsumerMan: Stretch your holiday budget

Web sites offer smart consumers valuable tools to save a bundle

By Herb Weisbaum

msnbc.com

updated 4:52 p.m. ET, Thurs., Nov. 6, 2008

You don't need a crystal ball to predict that a lot of us will pinch pennies this holiday season. Survey after survey shows a significant number of shoppers plan to spend less on gifts this year.

Of course, we'll still buy presents – we'll just be a lot more aware of the price.

"If you have limited funds to work with, you really must shop smart this year," says Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org. "You want to buy when there's a sale, get an instant discount because of a promotion, then find a rebate."

Dworsky is a friend of mine and one of the most frugal shoppers I know. He uses the Internet to research products, compare prices and find bargains. He delights in finding super deals and sharing them with others.

This week he published a list of web sites that should help you stretch your holiday budget. Use these online tools, Dworsky says, and you should be able to spend less and get more for your money. Here are ConsumerWorld.org's sites for sore wallets.

SlickDeals.net & FatWallet.com
Here's where you'll find out about sales or other special offers that are not widely advertised. Each site has a "Hot Deals" forum where veteran bargain hunters share the money-saving offers they've discovered online or at brick-and-mortar stores.

The message board postings usually give more than just sale prices. You'll often find information about rebates and coupon codes. And the savings can be substantial. About a week ago he found a posting for a reconditioned Dyson vacuum cleaner (regular retail $400) for just $149.99.

"The best things tend to go quickly," he warns. "So when you find one of these unadvertised deals, you need to jump on it."

SundaySaver.com & SalesCircular.com
The Sunday newspaper is loaded with advertising inserts that let you know what's on sale at local stores. Maybe you don't get the paper. Maybe you threw out the circulars. No problem. These sites let you see those sale items. You can choose national retailers or limit your search to stores in your state.

Check out the section called "Free with Rebate" that lists products that don't cost you anything after you send in the mail in rebate form. These items range from software to glucose monitors. (Note: As we've warned in the past, rebates can be tricky. Stick to well-known retailers, send for the rebate right away, follow all the directions and keep copies of everything you put in the mail.)

SundaySaver.com has a "Black Friday Ads" section with a number of post-Thanksgiving sales already posted. For example, Sears will drop the price on a Sharp 46-inch 1080p LCD HDTV from $1,200 to $899 as an early bird special.

SalesCircular.com has a nice feature. It lets you search for specific categories of products, such as GPS units, digital cameras, MP3 players or sweaters.

PriceSpider.com
We all see sales every day. As Edgar puts it, "Sometimes the sale is great; sometimes the sale is just so-so. If you're not up on prices it's hard to tell."

Is that DVD player on sale for $399 really a good deal? Not if you know it sold for $299 a few weeks ago.

PriceSpider lets you check the price history for various items at hundreds of stores across the country for the last six months. Armed with this information,
you instantly become a smarter shopper.

I did a price check on a Sony DVD Recorder and found current prices ranging from $144 to $199. By looking at the graph, I could instantly see that the $144 price was a great deal. The chart showed the median price for this model had not been below $160 in the past six months.

DealAlerter.com
This is Dworsky's own site. It let's you know when the price drops on a product you want to buy. Dworsky created the site to help busy shoppers. "People don't have the time to keep checking week after week to see if the price has come down."

Using the site is easy. Start with the price comparison search engine. If the prices seem too high, set a lower target price and DealAlerter.com will check prices every day. If it finds the item at or below the target price, you'll get an email alert. You can set the site to search at one store or at the hundreds of online stores in its database.

Shipgooder.com
Many holiday gifts will need to be shipped to friends and loved-ones. You have a number of options, but prices vary greatly from service to service. Shipgooder.com lets you compare the cost of shipping that package via DHL, FedEx, UPS, the U.S. Postal Service and Purolator.

Just put in the "to" and "from" zip codes and the weight and in about a second you can see your various options, listed by carrier, based on delivery speed: next day, second day, third day and ground.

When I priced a 10-pound package from Seattle to Philadelphia, the second day delivery prices ranged from $9.80 to $52.06. In the past, I'd have to go to each carrier's site, punch in that information and then compare rates. This site is both a time saver and money saver.

A few more money-saving sites
In its November issue, ShopSmart magazine lists seven web sites that can help you find real deals fast. "We scoured the Web to come up with this short list of sites you can count on for great deals every time you shop," says editor-in-chief Lisa Lee Freeman.

More information


BBB: Online shopping tips


FTC: Holiday Shopping Tips

© 2008 msnbc.com

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27579959/

Unemployment rate at 14-year high

CORRECTED: Job losses soar, jobless rate at 14-year high

I am posting this, not to discourage you, but to emphasize you will likely need to put careful thought and deliberate focus on your job search. Simply submitting resumes online will probably not result in the type of opportunity you are looking for, unless you have a very specific job skill. A top notch resume to accurately showcase your skills, a targeted job search and dedicated networking will be the keys to finding the type of opportunity you wish to find.

Even when unemployment rises, someone is being hired every day. More often than not, the person who is being hired found a way to get to a hiring manager and bypassed the thousand or so resumes that were submitted online.

You find a way to be that person!

Employers cut payrolls by 240,000 in October, much more severely than expected, while September registered the biggest monthly loss in jobs in nearly seven years, according to a government report on Friday that showed labor markets were sharply deteriorating.

REUTERS/Graphics

By Glenn Somerville
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers slashed an unexpectedly steep 240,000 jobs from payrolls last month and the jobless rate shot up to a 14-1/2-year high, the government said on Friday in a report underscoring the economy's steep slide.

The Labor Department also said job losses in September and August were deeper than previously thought. The economy shed 284,000 jobs in September, the most since November 2001 which was shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, and lost 127,000 in August. That meant 179,000 more jobs were cut in August and September than previously thought.

So far this year 1.2 million jobs have been lost, 651,000 in the past three months alone, showing labor markets are crumbling faster and heightening chances of a deep recession.

"We have entered the phase of serious recession conditions. Unfortunately we will encounter more of this ...," said Richard DeKaser, chief economist for National City Corp in Cleveland.
Analysts said the bleak data could give further impetus to efforts on Capitol Hill to quickly craft a package of measures to help support the economy. President-elect Barack Obama was set to huddle with top economic advisers later in the day before holding his first news conference since being elected.

Wall Street economists had expected a loss of 200,000 nonfarm jobs in October and had looked for the jobless rate to move up to 6.3 percent from 6.1 percent in September.
Instead, the unemployment rate rose a steep four-tenths of a percent to 6.5 percent, the highest since March 1994.

"The 6.5 percent unemployment rate will only reinforce market talk of a peak in the unemployment rate above 8 percent," said Alan Ruskin, chief international strategist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Still, the data was not as dire as some had feared.

While the dollar extended losses, U.S. stocks rose and prices for U.S. Treasuries turned lower.
"I think people were basically looking for a pretty weak number so it needed to be a tremendous surprise," said Thomas di Galoma, head of U.S. Treasury trading at Jefferies & Co. "It needed to be down 350,000 to really get the market rolling."

PAIN WIDESPREAD
The U.S. Federal Reserve has cut benchmark interest rates by 4.25 percentage points over the last 13 months, including 1 point last month alone, in an effort to buffer the economy from a deep housing slump and a widening credit crisis which has reverberated worldwide.Interest-rate futures prices imply a 64-percent perceived chance the Fed will lower its target overnight federal funds rate to 0.5 percent at its next policy meeting in December. That would be the lowest on records dating to July 1954.

In manufacturing alone, a whopping 90,000 jobs were cut in October -- reflecting in part 27,000 striking workers at Boeing Co. That followed a loss of 56,000 factory jobs in September.
Service-producing industries cut 108,000 jobs in October on top of 201,000 lost in September.
Earlier this year, job losses had been concentrated in the factory sector, but September marked the third month in a row that the vast services sector lost more jobs than manufacturing, a sign of the economy's widening woes.

Construction industries dropped 49,000 more jobs last month after eliminating 35,000 in September, many of them in specialty trades related to home building.

Average weekly hours of work held steady at 33.6 in October. At factories, the average workweek also held steady at 40.6 hours, while overtime was unchanged at 3.6 hours.

But the big drop in employment pulled down a measure of overall work effort by 0.3 percent.

(Additional reporting by Ros Krasny in Chicago and Burton Frierson in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/CORRECTED-Job-losses-soar-rb-13501267.html

Builder Implode A Meter

Where not to look for a job in construction :(
http://builder-implode.com/

Layoffs at John Wieland today

I have heard some of you were laid off today and I am truly sorry. There are posts throughout this blog that will help you locate resources and provide miscellaneous tidbits of information, such as job search expenses that are tax deductible.

All of us want and need for the housing market to rebound for a multitude of reasons. Not the least of which was my personal hope that no one else at Wieland would have to lose their job for anything other than voluntary reasons.

A speaker at the jobs ministry at my church gave us the advice that "any incident only has the importance we attach to it". For instance, if you decide the loss of a job is the end of the world for you then it may indeed be a cataclysmic event. If you decide the loss of a job is an opportunity to find something you enjoy as well or better than the job you lost, a chance to change careers, pursue education, etc. then they lay off will represent an opportunity. How you view your unemployment will affect how you perform in interviews and likely how quickly you will find another job.

Please look back through the posting archive at the very bottom and locate the post on social networking. Networking is key to locating another position and the Roswell United Methodist Church has a VERY active jobs networking group. Please check them out for moral support if nothing else.

I wish you all the best. Please post any comments you wish or email me.

The 2010 Census – A Great Way to Earn Extra Money

http://www.census.gov/2010censusjobs/index.php

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting temporary part-time census takers for the 2010 Census. The pay is good, the hours are flexible, and the work is close to home.

Census taker jobs are excellent for retirees, college students, persons who want to work part-time, persons who are between jobs, or just about anyone who wants to earn extra money while performing an important service for their community

 

Economy drops hammer on John Wieland Homes

By KEVIN DUFFY

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Friday, October 31, 2008

Construction has stopped on about half the John Wieland homes in metro Atlanta and the company's business is off sharply, the founder said Friday.

"Overall, our Atlanta business is down 60 percent from the best years," said John Wieland, chairman of Atlanta-based John Wieland Homes & Neighborhoods and perhaps Atlanta's best known homebuilder. "It may be a little while before it fully recovers."

Wieland said more houses are at the hold stage — incomplete but presentable — than ever before. He put the number at approximately 150. Those are houses that are little more than shells and will remain so for the time being.

"We are holding some of our homes at their current stages of construction while we get over the presidential election," Wieland said. "We have more homes at a hold stage now than we have had previously."

The company's Atlanta home sales were off 36 percent in fiscal year 2008, which ended in September. Closings totaled 350 compared to 547 in 2007.

Wieland Homes forecasts just 300 Atlanta home sales in fiscal year 2009, said Jennifer Nilsson, the director of corporate marketing.

The average sales price of a new Wieland Homes house is $550,000, so the company might be the largest in the metro Atlanta in terms of dollar volume, Wieland said.

Wieland Homes also builds in North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Its work force has been halved to about 350 since last year.

Wieland said the current slump is the worst he's seen in the three decades since Wieland Homes' founding. The company's struggles mirror the downturn in the metro area housing market.

"Overall, Atlanta's housing starts declined 60 percent and closings declined 40 percent during the 12-month period ending in September," said Eugene James, Atlanta division director for Metrostudy, which researches residential real estate.

"The pace of new-home starts has not been this slow in more than a decade," James said. "Builders have done the right thing by cutting back on production in response to declining demand, which, in turn, is returning the supply of homes to a more balanced level."

Excess housing inventory peaked in the second quarter of 2006 and has been slowly shrinking since, James said. The supply of lots will continue to rise until starts increase significantly, which may not happen until 2010, he said.

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/business/stories/2008/10/31/wieland_homes_economy.html

 

Of course it’s a recession

If anyone was hoping to hear good news at the Atlanta Rotary Club's lunch today, economist Don Ratajczak quickly changed that thought.

Ratajczak, former director of Georgia State University's Economic Forecasting Center who currently serves as a consultant, did not hold any punches.

"We are a nation that's troubled, and we are in a world that's in panic," Ratajczak said. And he dispelled any doubts about whether we are in a recession. "Of course it's a recession."

As evidence, Ratajczak pointed to the fact that there's been a loss of jobs every month for most of the year. He expects that when the new numbers are reported in November, another 200,000 jobs will have been lost. And that could increase to 300,000 a month early next year.

The real issue is whether the nation will be able steer its way out of the recession without entering a depression. And Ratajczak wouldn't make any guarantees.

Several actions will need to occur including regulating the unregulated parts of the financial community.

"We now need to regulate activities, not institutions," he said. "We need to regulate mortgages, not banks."

Ratajczak's forecast was that corporate profit would be down 20 percent in 2009. He expects companies to reduce capital expenditures, and he expects further contraction in the market -- minus 3 percent in the fourth quarter; about the same in the first quarter and then a negative 1 percent in the second quarter of 2009.

The biggest question of whether the United States will be able to avert a depression is one of confidence.

"We have got to rebuild that confidence," he said predicting that the Christmas season will be rather dismal for retailers this year.

As to the presidential election, Ratajczak said he would like to hear more direction from both candidates about how they would deal with the economy. He criticized U.S. Sen. Barack Obama for using words like "sharing the wealth when wealth is imploding."

But before letting people think that he is supporting U.S. Sen. John McCain, Ratajczak said of Obama: "He's more elegant than the other guy."

When asked about unemployment in Georgia, Ratajczak said his forecast shows it could reach 8.5 percent. He also predicted that the Federal Reserve Bank will cut interest rates again this year and that inflation will be only about 2 percent next year.

In closing, Ratajczak said: "I'm longterm bullish on banks. I just don't know which banks to be bullish on."

From: http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2008/10/27/daily16.html?f=et50&ana=e_du

Is your job too stressful? Take the test

An Imag Career coach has a test to help you determine if your job is too stressful:

Stocks seesaw after Homes Report

The markets reacted positively after the government offered a rare, better-than-expected report on housing. The Commerce Department said new home sales jumped by 2.7% in September to an annual rate of 464,000. Economists had expected a more modest rise in sales. However, the median price of new homes plunged 9.1% last month to $218,400 -- the lowest level since September 2004. T

The report sent shares of homebuilders like Pulte Homes (PHM) and Lennar (LEN) sharply higher. 

Excerpt from a much lengthier article at: http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/global-market-selloff-places-pressure-futures/

Stock Market Turbulence

I know that today's continued volatility is unsettling, but please recognize no matter how much the media is scaring you we are not hitting new lows.  The lowest point for the S&P 500 and DJIA was reached on October 10th and ever since then the DJIA has traded between 7,773 and 9,310.  I would anticipate that we will continue to be bounced around until after the elections.  It should also be noted that trading volume was significantly higher on the 10th, another sign of the market capitulation that I discussed in my last email.  Below I have provided a few resources that will hopefully help you recognize that we are much closer to the bottom of this market, leaving tremendous opportunity for a recovery in the coming months.

• Warren Buffett the most successful investor of our time, had his thoughts on this economy and market published in last week's New York Times.  The piece was titled, "Buy American. I Am" (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/17/opinion/17buffett.html?_r=2&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin&oref=slogin)
  
• Many of you probably noticed that one of the bright spots on your 3rd Quarter Investment Capital Report was that the Hussman Strategic Growth Fund was up 4.5% as of September 30, 2008.  The manager of that fund, John P. Hussman, Ph.D. wrote a very positive piece this week that is worth reading titled "Why Warren Buffett is Right (and Why Nobody Cares)"  (http://www.hussmanfunds.com/wmc/wmc081020.htm)
  
• As many of you know I started broadcasting "The Money Guy" show over 3 years ago and it has been very successful with thousands of weekly listeners, industry awards, and a featured position on Apple's iTunes.  I have provided a link to this week's show titled "Time to Buy? Buffett vs. Cramer". This provides additional insight on my thoughts on where we stand in this market and economy. http://www.money-guy.com/time-to-buy-buffett-vs-cramer
  
• I also wanted to let you know that I was notified last week that I would be included on Medical Economics
  2008 "150 Best Financial Advisers for Doctors" list. 
  

I know in these difficult times to stay the course requires a strong stomach. We encourage you to stick with your long term investment plans at this time. Please contact me if you need to talk about your portfolio or what is going on in the economy.  The markets have experienced other crises in the past (the Savings & Loan debacle of the 80s, the crash of '87, the currency crisis of the 90s, the technology boom/bust cycle of the late 90s, and now the mortgage/credit meltdown?). In each of these periods, the problems have eventually been resolved and markets return to more positive and less volatile times.

 
 

Thank you for letting me be a part of your financial decisions, and I recognize the weight of my responsibilities.  As always I am here to discuss any of your concerns and please feel free to forward these updates to your friends and family that are also looking for direction in these uncertain times.

  
 

J. Brian Preston, CPA, CFP®, PFS
NAPFA - Registered Financial Advisor
Preston & Cleveland Wealth Management, LLC
1611 South Zack Hinton Parkway
McDonough, GA 30253
www.Preston-Cleveland.com

Ask the Expert” Roundtables are back with 15 speakers!

Hello from RUMC Job Networking!

“Ask the Expert” Roundtables are back with 15 speakers!

Join us Monday Night, October 27th when we have 15 speakers at RUMC! This is one of our most popular and interactive events. We’ll have each of the speakers give you a 30 second pitch as to why you should be at their table. You then get to choose 3 of them.

We start at 6:00 pm with a free dinner and close around 9:15 pm. Go to www.RUMCjobnetworki ng.com for more information and directions. No RSVP is required.

We are excited to have all of our guest speakers. However, for the first time ever we’ve gotten commitment from Ruthie Powell of “Ruthie’s List” fame to join us Monday Night. The other 14 speakers and topics will be sent via email later this week via RUMC Yahoogroups in time for our meeting as we wrap up our confirmations.

Our last meeting we had over 155 job seekers in attendance. Also 112 job seekers took advantage of our dinner which focuses on developing your spiritual resume. With over 40 of our 130 volunteers on-site at each meeting we are excited to contribute to your job search. We have a great program for you on Monday Night and hope you can join us.

Please review this line up for Monday Night. We are experimenting with the timing of some of these activities causing some of the activities to overlap. We added Resume Reviewing to follow the Free Dinner so you can take advantage of both in the same room. We also have moved our resume reviewers to 6:00 pm and added a new Interview Discussion Room and the new Small Business Opportunity Discussion Room. See below:

1. 6:00 – 7:00 pm Free Dinner Program with Resume Reviews (7:00 – 7:30 pm). We have an individual contributor who is sponsoring our dinner Monday Night starting at 6:00 pm on “Developing your Spiritual Resume.” Volunteer leader Bob Kashey will lead you through some critical steps that will help you in your job search. The dinner is free but please arrive by 6:00 pm. Again, no RSVP is required. For those that attend dinner we will be offering resume reviews so you don’t have to rush out early.
2. 6:00 – 7:30 pm Resume Reviews. We have Recruiters and HR Professionals volunteering their time as Resume Reviewers that are anxious to go one-on-one with you.
3. 6:45 – 7:30 pm Interview Discussion Room. This is a brand new addition to our ministry and is run by Richard Kirby. We will have an informal drop-in format.
4. 6:45 – 7:30 pm Small Business Opportunity Discussion Room. This is also a brand new addition to our ministry and is coordinated by Bill Williams.
5. 7:30 – 9:15 pm “Ask the Expert” Program. Select 3 of our 15 guest speakers based on what you are most interested in. Bring a note pad to take notes!!
6. Industry Guide Access. We have over 65 off-site volunteers that will take one of your phone calls after the meeting. You get to select one of them based on the industry and company that they work for.

Do you need directions or more details? Go to www.RUMCjobnetworking.com.

Membership Codes
Do you need another reason to attend? We will be distributing Membership Codes for www.crossroadscareer.org which is a site that will walk you through the Six Steps in your Job Search. This website is a one of a kind resource that we are pleased to share with you – if you attend Monday Night.

See you Monday Night!

Jay Litton
Volunteer Leader
www.RUMCjobnetworking.com

Unemployment up 44 percent from last year

Atlanta jobless rate climbs

Unemployment up 44 percent from last year

By MICHAEL E. KANELL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thursday, October 23, 2008

Metro Atlanta's jobless rate climbed last month to 6.5 percent, up from 6.2 percent in August, the state Department of Labor reported Thursday.

The region's official unemployment rate, which has not been adjusted to account for seasonal variations, matches the state's rate, also 6.5 percent.

The jobless rate is up 44 percent from the same month of last year, reflecting a continued decay in the economy.

That trend is national. About 478,000 laid-off workers filed new jobless claims last week, federal officials said Thursday.

Anything above 400,000 is considered evidence of a weak labor market. The report has been above that mark since mid-July.

The weekly national filings were up from 333,000 first-time claims in the corresponding week of October a year ago.

Job losses accelerated as problems in the real estate market multiplied and led to layoffs. Many cuts came among builders and roofers. But they rippled through services like brokers and accountants, as well as into sectors like textiles, where the housing boom had boosted demand.

Now, layoffs have spread even wider across the economy, said Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, to include workers in manufacturing, construction, trade and services.

Metro Atlanta payrolls lost 17,200 jobs from August to September, officials said. That accounts for slightly more than half the 33,600 jobs lost during the past year.

http://www.ajc.com/business/content/business/stories/2008/10/23/unemployment.html

Market Meltdown: Change Your Job Search Mindset

Market Meltdown: Change Your Job Search Mindset
Joe Turner 10/20/08

The current economic meltdown is just the tip of a much larger iceberg that will have far reaching economic implications for all of us here in the U.S. Tens of thousands of layoffs in and beyond the financial industry will only be the start of more sober times as companies across the country will be forced to rethink their future hiring plans.

One fact seems certain. All of these combined circumstances will have huge ramifications for job seekers. The failing economy and a constantly rising unemployment rate will require individuals to take a fresh approach to their job search.

Referencing the most recent economic crisis, Neil McNulty, Principal Recruiter, McNulty Management Group states, "The game has changed, but the rules remain the same; now, more than ever, job seekers need to change their mindset from looking for 'openings' to looking for 'opportunities. ' Opportunities are born out of crisis and chaos, and exist even in the worst economy."This means that you, as a job seeker, must look beyond job postings and move into marketing yourself to the managers of the companies and organizations who are experiencing problems that you can solve.

Here's how:
1. Change Your Mindset: Move away from being a passive job seeker and toward being an active problem-solver. Don't just rely on the Internet to find job openings. Scour the marketplace to find the hidden jobs that aren't advertised. Most jobs are not posted or advertised. The best jobs are often found through networking, word-of-mouth and informational interviews.
2. Stop Thinking of Yourself as Just an Assortment of Job Skills: See yourself as a product to package and market, and then create your own marketing campaign to find your desired job. This includes having a state-of-the- art resume and sharpening your interviewing skills.
3. Sell ROI: View yourself in terms of Return on Investment for an employer. See yourself as a mini-profit and loss center. Be prepared to demonstrate ways you have helped to positively impact the bottom line of your past or current employer. This means demonstrating ways you've helped make money or save money for an employer or clients. As employees, we all touch money. Some of us may be closer to it than others. Regardless, we must find ways to prove this in short "sound bites" when given the opportunity.

Remember, it's not about you, but about the organization itself. All communication with a prospective employer must answer the question, "What's in it for me (the employer)?" The road ahead will be littered with casualties; make no mistake about that.We could sit by and whine about the circumstances. We could wait for the government to initiate a "bailout" package that might somehow rescue the unemployed. Or, we could take charge of our own lives and power ourselves forward.

Joseph P. Kennedy said many years ago, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going." That statement is just as true today as it was then. Whether we're employed or not, we all have this rocky, tough economy in common. We can respond as victims of the economy or we can get tough, and get going. As a recruiter, Joe Turner has spent the past 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers. Author of "JobSearch Secrets Unlocked" and "Paycheck 911" , Joe has interviewed on radio talk shows and offers
<http://www.jobchangesecrets.com/> free insider job search secrets.

Job Networking Ministry at Roswell United Methodist Church (RUMC)

A button posted on the lower right side of this blog will enable you to join RUMC's Yahoo Group. Their group distributes an email "Daily Digest" of job openings in the metro area.

Job Networking Ministry at Roswell United Methodist Church (RUMC) located at 814 Mimosa Boulevard in Roswell, Georgia.

We focus on tending to the needs of job seekers and career changers. We meet every second and fourth Monday evening at the Dodson Youth Center starting at 7:30 pm and ending around 9:15 pm. If you arrive early at 6:00 pm you can take advantage of our new program "Developing You Spritual Resume".

We provide a Free Dinner that is sponsored by companies and individuals that want to contribute to your search. Then at 6:45 pm you can take advantage of:
- Resume Guides (recruiters who will review your resume)
- Our small group program (learn more at http://www.c3g.org/)
- And many other networking opportunities.

Before you leave, take advantage of our Industry Guides (a RUMC creation) where you get to select an employed church member to network with after the meeting based on the industry and company they are employed with.

Our main program at 7:30 pm typically has powerful guest speakers and programs that will provide practical strategies you can put to work the next day.We have one of the largest volunteer programs in the State of Georgia with over 110 employed RUMC volunteers. We are anxious to show you how we can help you personally in your job search.

For directions and more information, check us out at http://www.rumcjobnetworking.com/. Take a look at our Crossroads Career Partner website. We can help you with the best practices with the Key Six Steps. It is free to everyone because we have paid for your subscription as a service to you. You will need a membership key to log into the site as a career explorer. We provide these at no cost every meeting! Join us to learn how to find the hidden jobs and obtain the skills necessary for a successful job search. Remember, keep God part of your job search too. It makes no sense to do this alone!

Home Builder’s Hidden Time Bombs

October 17, 2008 9:28AM

By Elizabeth MacDonald

Housing starts in the US sank 6.3% in September to a seasonally adjusted rate of 817,000, the lowest level in 17 years. That's worse than economists had expected, with a consensus forecast of a 1.7% drop in home construction.

Moreover, economists expect further declines in the fourth quarter. Building permits, an indicator of future activity, fell 8.3% to a 786,000 annual rate.

The decline in housing starts–the third precipitous drop in a row–should help weed back existing housing inventories, however, all of this means the home builders remain under severe pressure. That includes Hovnanian (HOV: 4.88, -0.20, -3.93%), Centex Corp. (CTX: 10.85, -0.42, -3.72%), D.R. Horton (DHI: 6.78, -0.42, -5.83%), Lennar Corp. (LEN: 9.01, -0.65, -6.72%), Toll Brothers (TOL: 20.57, -0.93, -4.32%) and Pulte Homes (PHM: 10.55, -0.76, -6.71%).

More so as U.S.-regulated banks are rapidly getting out of home building. "This is, by far, the toughest time for home builders since World War II," said James Hamilton, an economics professor with UC San Diego. "It's really a phenomenal collapse in the market these past two years."

On top of all this, Standard & Poors lowered its credit ratings on seven homebuilders in the last three months, and had cut 11 in the preceding quarter. Large homebuilders–like D.R. Horton, Lennar Corp. and Pulte Homes-are working furiously to cut back production to levels last seen in 2000 and 2001, while others have retreated as far as 1994.

Supply Glut Socks the Home Builders

The National Association of Realtors says that inventories are at a supply of 10.4 months, the highest level in 18 years. The US Census Bureau releases new home sale and supply data, with data dating back to 1963. As of August 2008, there was 10.9 months of supply, down slightly from the peak of 11.2 months seen in March of this year. August marked the sixth consecutive month of double digit months of inventory, a trend that has never happened dating back to 1963.

Previous highs of 11.6 months of supply were made in April 1980, with a few other months of double-digit supply in 1981. In short, the current levels of inventory are unprecedented, warns Meredith Whitney of Oppenheimer Equity Research.

To wipe out the supply glut in housing, builders will have to pump out just 800,000 houses annually for two years, Merrill Lynch says. That's about half of the going rate up until recently.

House Price Declines Hurt

Housing futures imply a housing price peak-to-trough drop of 22% by November 2008, a drop of 29% by November 2009, and a drop of 33% by 2010. Under this scenario home prices would return to levels last seen about eight years ago, essentially wiping out nearly a decades' worth of home price appreciation.

Home Builders' Ugly Debt Picture

The average leverage of investment grade home builders, as measured by debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, could grow to four times in late 2007, from a current average of 1.8 times.

Moody's Investors Service has already reported that a worse-than-expected housing slump has left home builders with less cash flow to cover debt interest, and some ratings could be cut if that trend continues.  

Cash flow is the key to reducing debt and interest expense, but companies have had a harder time boosting cash flow than in previous downturns, Moody's said.

Home Builders' Hidden Time Bombs

There are hidden time bombs on the home builders' balance sheets–off balance sheet debt, which could keep the home building sector dark for a while longer.

Specifically, many home builders entered into land deals with partners, but then shoved billions of dollars in debt from those deals into off-balance sheet vehicles, debt that could come back to bite their stocks.

Put that debt back onto their balance sheets, already underwater with an ocean liner of debt, and the companies' dirt-cheap book values fall deeper in the hole.

Here's how it works. Many large builders took minority stakes in joint ventures, which let them stockpile land for future needs while keeping billions in debt off their balance sheets. If they don't make sales, if they can't move that land, they're still very likely on the hook for their share of that off-balance sheet debt.

Alisa Guyer Galperin, an analyst at the Center for Financial Research & Analysis, figures that 13 of the country's biggest homebuilders on average have debt to capital ratios that look way uglier with this off balance sheet debt factored in, as much as 977 basis points higher than typically reported.

Why Debt Ratios Matter

This is why investors should care about higher debt to capital ratios. A company with high debt-to-capital ratios faces higher costs, like interest, on these debts that can suck free cash flow out of a company, cash that could go toward expanding an operation (yes taking on debt can also help pay to grow a company, but at a big cost-especially if management is poor).

High debt can weigh on a company and increase its default risk.

The Center for Financial Research & Analysis figures that Lennar, one of the country's biggest home builders out of Miami, Fla, and NVR, a homebuilder in Reston, Va., have the most off-balance sheet debt. The Center also adds that NVR in each of the last three years bought developed lots from a company controlled by a board member-did it get a fair price for shareholders?

Homebuilders may be held responsible for their share of joint venture debt guarantees, based on their pro rata share of the joint venture or the JV's specific recourse agreements. The accounting rules are really loose here-the homebuilders themselves get to decide whether or not they are the prime beneficiaries of an off balance sheet deal, and so whether they need to book the debt on their balance sheets.

The Center's Guyer Galperin has estimated that Lennar is on the hook for up to $910 mn of $5.6 bn in debt through partnerships not on its books. Lennar and other home builders are already fighting with lenders that are stamping their feet to force it pay off its share of their partnerships' total outstanding debt.

And Deutsche Bank has already sued Technical Olympic USA, alleging the Florida builder is in "multiple potential defaults" on $675 million in debt owed by several failed joint venture partnerships. Lennar says it's protected from any problems because it's hooked up with solid institutional investors like the pension fund CalPERS and has set up deals to ensure it isn't liable for partners.

http://emac.blogs.foxbusiness.com/2008/10/17/home-builders-hidden-time-bombs/

St. Ann’s Catholic Church offers: Career Quest

Career Quest, the oldest active and most experienced job network in Atlanta is staffed by heads of local businesses, division heads of major
corporations and other self starters. Direction and detailed descriptions of our workshops and Bios of our facilitators are available on our web site:

Call 770-552-6400 ext. 6104 for more information.

OUR SCHEDULE:

* Every Tuesday evening at 7:00pm we hold two events that run concurrently:

* Group Networking: self driven, an open forum dedicated to networking with other job seekers
* Resume Reviews: One-on-one time is available with experienced volunteers
* 7:55pm the Workshop Session: Begins & runs to approximately 10pm these are self-help workshops designed to provide job seekers with the basic tools to locate jobs and have an edge when applying for jobs

WORKSHOP for 10/21/08: "Starting a Job Search"

The session provides job seekers with much more than just an introduction to what proven techniques follow in the rest of this dynamic approach to re-entering the new workplace, but also how one can make a successful career transition. This initial session also provides the following for each participant that actively engages the process:
- The understanding that they are not alone deals with job seekers feelings
- Offers an overview of critical web-sites and support services for job seekers
- Highlights of each job search tool offered with take-aways! A job-seeker marketing plan for each participant
- Strategies for each job seeker to create a career development plan

Presented by Susan Nofi a Senior Vice President, Human Resources and General Counsel, for the world's leading industry provider of print media in 170 countries. Susan has over 20 years of experience. She created a focus on strategic and organizational management, particularly in salary
administration, performance management, and training

WORKSHOPS for the remainder of OCTOBER:

10/28/2008 "D.I.S.C.: a Human Behavior Model" presented by Ernie Pollitzer

St. Ann's is located on 4905 Roswell Road/ 120, (at the intersection of Bishop Lake and Roswell Rd./Rt.120) Marietta Ga. 30062. Everyone is
welcome. There is no charge and dress is casual. Drive around the back of the Church and park near the swing set and enter the building through the
door under the drive-thru overhang; our room is on your right. Call 770-552-6400 ext. 6104 for more information.

Resources to help you Survive a Layoff

You may click on the picture above to enlarge the information. All the information above is listed under the Georgia Department of Labor under "Surviving a layoff". The link is: http://www.dol.state.ga.us/js/survive_layoff.htm

And there are live links to each resource listed above on the webpage.

Unemployment highlights need for community, family networks

CLARKONOMICS: Clark wants to issue a special challenge to churches and other religious organizations ahead of what is likely to be a trend of rising unemployment. At just a little over 6%, unemployment remains low today compared to historical numbers. But odds are fairly good that we may see it rise to between 8.5% or 9%.

Some places like Michigan and Rhode Island may be there already, with California following closely behind. In the past, churches, synagogues and other religious institutions have offered people a place to network during times of high unemployment. In Clark's estimation, the Internet and its networking forums just don't have the same touch as a brick-and-mortar building where you can go to share bumps in the road with others seeking work.

So our nation's religious institutions should look to fill that role again. There's also going to be a great need for counseling. People are more likely to hurt themselves during times of higher unemployment. They may feel a lowered sense of self-esteem; we perceive our value as being based on what vocation we have. It may not be true, but it is how we feel in America.

If you are facing unemployment, realize that it probably stems from larger economic tides and it is not a reflection of you.

Likewise, if you know a friend or family member facing unemployment, reach out to them regularly. Some people may need financial help. The big houses we Americans have can be put to good use if a loved one is evicted or foreclosed upon and needs a place to stay. We tend to look to government to take care of us, but the state can't do what we can do as a family.

Having said all that, Clark wants to emphasize that we are not headed toward a wave of mass unemployment in the 20% range that would suggest a depression.
From Clark Howard on October 20, 2008: http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/index.html

Webinar – How to find a job on the Interne

This webinar will take place on November 1, 2008 @11:00am. It is free but you must register.

I cannot preview the material so I cannot provide a true "reference " for it. If you watch it and have any questions about the validity of the information or processes discussed, please let me know.

http://howtofindajobontheinternet.eventbrite.com/

Excerpt from Registration page:

Even though times are tough, it is not impossible to find work to support yourself and your family. I remember the last recession of 2002 when I had bills to pay, mouths to feed and no interviews pending. How is that for irony - a Recruiter looking for work?

Like every other job seeker, I placed my resume on Monster, scanned the newspaper and asked people if they knew of any openings. In other words, I was doing what everyone else was doing, at the same time, but for some reason I was expecting different results. Two weeks into my job search I decided to do something different and today I am still reaping the rewards from my efforts back in 2002.

In my free webinar, "Confessions of a Job Search Strategist" you will learn the following:

• Where does your resume really go? (The Blackhole Explained)
  
• Why Job Boards don't matter (and why they do)
  
• How to use Google to discover jobs that most people will never see
  
• How to get Recruiters to chase after you
  

The class is 1-hour to include a Question and Answer session.

Notes will be made available for downloading after the session.

Just Because

This stuff is just because I feel like posting it J

Motorcycle weather for months – one of the benefits of living in Atlanta

Here is the GA Full Throttle Calendar: http://www.gafullthrottle.com/archives/oct08/cruisincal.htm#october

Don't miss "Wheels Through Time" near Maggie Valley, North Carolina if you like bikes: http://www.wheelsthroughtime.com/

Marion and I rode to Gatlinburg, visited Maggie Valley and rode the "Tail of the Dragon", a road consisting of 318 curves in 11 miles. The driver pointed out this particular ride is a LOT more fun for the passenger (me) than the driver: The Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap, with 318 curves in 11 miles, is America's number one motorcycle and sports car road. The nearby Cherohala Skyway is quickly becoming number two with its remote 60 miles of scenic mountain highway. http://www.tailofthedragon.com/

For those of you who know my darling daughter, she graduates from college in December – Oh Happy Day! I can finally exhale a little.

I hope everyone is doing well. I would love to hear from you anytime you have time to write. For those of you who are or will be looking for a job – Good Luck! I hope you find the opportunity you want. 8