Forbes Best and Worst Cities for Commuters

Forbes lists are always of interest to me because they often provide an element that can be used in the process of selecting a new job or influence the decision to relocate. This years's list of the Best and Worst Commutes in the United States might have an impact on your decision. The worst commutes are effected by rapid expansion, urban sprawl, and lack of rapid transit systems among other things.

Best Cities for Commuters

1. Buffalo, NY


2. Salt Lake City, UT


3. Milwaukee, WI


4. Oklahoma City, OK


5. Pittsburgh, PA


6. Cleveland, OH


7. Hartford, CT


8. Kansas City, MO
   
9. Cincinnati, OH
   
10. Richmond, VA

Worst Cities for Commuters

1. Atlanta, GA - the fastest growing city in the U.S.
   
2. Detroit, MI
   
3. Miami, FL
   
4. Orlando, FL
   
5. Dallas, TX
   
6. Tampa, FL
   
7. Washington, DC
   
8. Houston, TX
   
9. Los Angeles, CA
   
10. San Francisco, CA

Five Best and Worst Commutes in Small Cities

Best

1. Corpus Chrisiti, TX
   
2. Eugene, OR
   
3. Anchorage, AK


4. Fresno, CA
   
5. Rochester, NY
   

Worst

1. Birmingham, AL


2. Raleigh, NC


3. Cape Coral, FL


4. Allentown, PA


5. Oxnard, CA

Best and Worst Cities for Commuters

For more job-finding information visit www.aresumes.com

10 Emerging Careers

In this rapidly changing global world, no matter how educated, skilled, and accomplished you are, you need to continue to grow and be open to change. Obsolete jobs are being replaced by new ones all of the time.

The 10 hottest emerging careers are:
1. Nursing Informatics - educated in both nursing and health information technology, these professionals bridge the gap between IT and patient care--an essential part of healthcare in the future. Many of them make over $100,000 a year.

2. Experience Designer - prepared in retail and merchandising management, these professionals do everything from selecting colors and fabrics to determining the scents or sounds of a room, to create the ultimate shopping experience. They average around $60,000 a year.

3. Viral Marketers - savvy marketing or advertising pros with multimedia design training, create "contagion" about products or services through word-of-mouth. And the more sophisticated audiences get, the more sophisticated tactics by well-trained viral marketers will be needed. In big cities, marketers average roughly $80,000.

4. Bloggers - freelance writers, marketers, Web designers, finance professionals--even tea-drinkers--can draw people from around the world to read what they're thinking. Businesses are often hiring people to blog about their products, and some bloggers can actually sell ads on their personal blogs. Top bloggers can make six figures, and a handful are said to make millions.

5. HVACR Technicians - heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration may not be new, but what these technicians do now is. Energy-efficiency and indoor air quality are hot topics, and those who know how to work with ever-more-sophisticated HVACR systems are few and far between. Salaries may range from $35,000 up to the triple digits.

6. Carbon Management Consultant - usually MBAs in an engineering or project management specialty--are an integral part of helping businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, which everyone's concerned with these days, thanks to climate change and tough legislation. These specialists might earn between $60,000-$100,000--or more while making the world a safer place.

7. International Logistics Manager - usually having degrees in logistics or supply chain management, these professionals ensure that materials and products are transported safely, on time, and within budget. Global trade is projected to increase by 9% in the coming years. Average salaries exceed $60,000 a year.

8. Conservation Scientists - formerly called "forest rangers," these environmental jobs are among the nation's fastest growing because there's more to protecting our national wild lands than preventing forest fires. A diploma in wildlife and forestry conservation can lead to this career. The median annual salary of over $56,000.

9. Welders - newer, cleaner methods and the need for welding in high tech industries have revolutionized welding. The Bureau of Labor Statististics predicts that 250,000 welding jobs will be open in 2014. Those willing to travel can earn as much as $50 an hour.

10. Personal Chef - one of the fastest growing culinary careers. People who are interested in letting someone else cook, don't have time to shop, and prefer to eat at home are relying more and more on personal chefs.

If you prepare for one of these emerging careers, you may be helping the future and building a rewarding career for yourself.

10 Great Careers You've Probably Never Heard Of

20,000 Jobs Lost in April

The U.S. economy lost 20,000 jobs, not 75,000 jobs as had been expected and the unemployment rate went down to 5%, not up, in April.

This is the 4th consecutive month of job losses, but an improvement from the 81,000 reductions in payrolls in March.

Businesses are handing out pink slips as they cope with an economy that is on the edge of a recession, or possibly in one already. A severe housing slump, harder-to-get credit, and financial turmoil have forced people and businesses to be more cautious in their spending. And that has hurt the economy.

Jobs cuts in April include:

• Construction - 61,000
• Manufacturers - 46,000
• Retailers - 27,000

Goods-producing businesses cut 110,000 jobs in April, the largest number of job reductions since January 2002, after trimming 88,000 in March.

Those losses were eclipsed by gains in:

• Health Care
• Professional and Business Services
• Government

Service industries added 90,000 jobs - the most since last December - with most of them coming in the health care and professional technical services sectors.

The weak labor market is making employers feel less generous with compensation. Average hourly earnings for jobholders rose to $17.88 in April, a tiny 0.1 percent rise from the previous month. That was less than the 0.3 percent rise economists were forecasting. Over the last 12 months, wages have grown by 3.4 percent.

Meanwhile, increasing energy and food prices are taking a bite out of paychecks. If the job market continues to falter, wage growth probably will slow, too, making people even less inclined to spend. That would spell further trouble for the economy.

Job losses for both February (76,000) and March (83,000) turned out to be greater than previously reported.

U.S. Job Losses in April Not as Deep as Feared

US Unemployment Benefits Rose Last Week

The Labor Department's report on jobless claims is not good, but is not surprising. The number of newly laid off workers rose by 35,000 to 380,000 last week. Economists had expected that the number would be less than 18,000. C0ntinued unemployment insurance claims from those already receiving benefits rose in the week ending April 19 to 3,019,000, up 74,000.

The unemployment report for April will be released tomorrow and is expected to show the unemployment rate is 5.2%, up from 5.1% in March.

Jobless Claims Surge

Lay-Offs Increased 68% from March to April but Don't Stop Your Job Search

U.S. planned lay-offs increased 68% from March to April, the largest since September 2006 pointing to further decline in the job market.

Planned job cuts in April totaled 90,010, up from 53,579 in March according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

The greatest number of layoffs were in the:

• Financial Sector - 23,106 with large layoffs announced by CitiGroup and Merrill Lynch
• Telecommunications Sector - 8,007
• Transportation Sector - 7,954

Pharmaceutical layoffs jumped by 256% due primarily to the elimination of 5,500 jobs by Kenilworth, N.J.-based Schering-Plough Corp.

Most of the impact felt thus far by the financial industry is from the effects of the housing slump and bad mortgages.

In the future, the effects from record oil prices may result in more layoffs than the housing slump, John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

“The impact of high gasoline prices is rippling through the economy much faster than the housing collapse ever did or will,” Challenger said in a statement.

Just remember, even when companies are laying off, they are often continuing to hire. You may have to work harder and it may take longer but you can find employment. Don't give up. You can:

• Increase your networking calls and make contacts on LinkedIn.com
• Thoroughly research potential employers
• Send out more resumes (electronic and hard copies) - make daily goal and reward yourself for following through
• Make sure you conduct follow-up calls in a week after sending out resumes
• Be very prepared for interviewing and always look professional
• Prepare and present great references
• Always send a handwritten thank you note within 24 hours after your interview
• Keep organized and maintain accurate records of networking, mailings, calls, interviews, and follow-ups (using a JibberJobber.com or the method that works best for you)
• Never give up - keep going - don't stop your job search

U.S. Unemployment Benefits Claims Rose Last Week

The Labor Department's report on jobless claims is not good, but is not surprising. The number of newly laid off workers rose by 35,000 to 380,000 last week. Economists had expected that the number would be less than 18,000. C0ntinued unemployment insurance claims from those already receiving benefits rose in the week ending April 19 to 3,019,000, up 74,000.

Layoffs increased 68% from March to April.The unemployment report for April will be released tomorrow and is expected to show the unemployment rate is 5.2%, up from 5.1% in March.

Jobless Claims Surge

JibberJobber: A Great Way to Organize Your Job Search

Whenever you embark on a job search whether it is because you want to explore your options, to progress to a better position, or to find a position after a job loss, you need to be organized to avoid wasting time.

I used to believe in the old fashioned method of writing information in a spiral notebook. Recently, I discovered JibberJobber.com, a free online set of tools that enables you to otganize and track:

• Industry and company information


• Where, when, and how you send your resume


• Interview date, time, and results information


• Follow up (thank you note and telephone) information


• Networking numbers, contacts, and results


• Job-search expenses


• and more

"JibberJobber is a powerful tool that lets you manage your career, from job search to relationship management to target company management (and much more). Free for life with an optional upgrade."

This site can save you hours of work and prevent aggravation.

Check JibberJobber out and let me know what you think.

IT Professionals Are Making Less

IT jobs are paying less than they were a year ago according to a new survey of 9,600 U.S. IT professionals conducted by InformationWeek.

Median base salaries for staff and managers dropped by $1,000 to:

• $73,000 for staffers


• $96,000 for managers

Bonuses also shrunk by the same amount to:

• $3,000 for staffers


• $7,000 for managers

Read more at Techies Get A Pay Cut

What Hiring Managers Have Planned for New College Grads

In a CareerBuilder survey of 3,147 hiring managers plans to hire new graduates indicated that 58% will hire new grads this year (down from 79% in 2007). The news about pay is not great:

• 42% plan to pay salaries below $30,000


• 32% will pay $30,000 to $40,000


• 15% will pay $40,000 to $50,000


• 11% will pay more than $50,000

CareerBuilder Research

Top 10 Best Cities for New Graduates

A study conducted by Apartments.com and CareerBuilder.com found that the best city in the U.S. for new graduates is Philadelphia, PA. The findings were based on research criteria, including the:

• Population of people aged 20 to 24


• Number of entry level job openings suitable for new grads


• Average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment

The ranked the top 10 cities and gave the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in each:

1. Philadelphia - $962


2. Boston - $1,3445


3. New York - $1,520


4. Phoenix - $741


5. Chicago - $1,029


6. Dallas-Fort Worth - $755


7. Los Angeles - $1,435


8. Houston - $778


9. Detroit - $699


10. Atlanta - $773

City of Brotherly Love is Best for New Grads