Smart career moves to make by 30

For people in their twenties, life can be a rich time for personal self-discovery—a period when you’re more willing to take risks and maybe even make mistakes along the way. These can also be some of the most formative years for your career.

When you graduate, you may have an idea of what you want to be when you “grow up,” but may not have an idea of just how to get there. You don’t want to leave everything to chance - especially if it affects your future earning power.

Career experts and coaches have their opinions on the top dos—and don’ts—for the younger generation of career builders. For those past ‘twenty something’ look to see what you did right, or not so. Here are 30 savvy moves to make at each stage of your career before you hit 30, or might be able to catch up on after. See the complete article here.

Reasons For and Against Improving Economy

Employment opportunities are directly related to the economy. There has been some improvement overall in the last year. The popular news figures released for the un-employed is down to 6.7 percent (BLS U-3); while the realistic U-6 statistic is at 13.1. With this level, one out of every seven working adults is challenged for employment. The U-6 includes those unemployed that have also used up their benefits and those who have given up looking for work.

USA Today presents an article reviewing four reasons the economy is improving and four reasons it might not improve. Having some basic understanding of the factors that influence the economy can help appreciating the dilemma of being un-employed. See the complete article here.

Who Are America’s Jobless?

By the numbers: Long waits, harsh impact of being jobless

As printed in USA Today on January 24, 2011 Complete article posted at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-01-25-1Ajobless25_CV_N.htm?csp=24

USA Today and Gallup interviewed Americans who are unemployed – those who aren’t working and either are looking for a job or plan to look – and those who are underemployed. This survey explored how they are managing who has been hardest-hit and what they believe is ahead. Most of those surveyed have lost any optimism they will find a job soon or end up with work they really want to do. Survey accuracy is +-4% about presenting the realities of those people either unemployed or underemployed in 2011.

One striking finding: the impact joblessness has not only on household finances, but also on almost every other aspect of life.

Long term unemployment has become so entrenched that, starting next month, reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics will raise from two years to five years the upper limit on how long some have been listed as unemployed and actively looking for a job.

Revealing Statistics

1. 81% are actively looking for a job
2. 62% haven’t received unemployment benefits
3. 60% predict they will have to settle for a job they don’t really want
4. 49% predict they won’t find a job in the next four weeks
5. 40% mange to pay bills with difficulty
6. 25% most recently worked in the service industry
7. 23% have moved to less expensive housing
8. 21% have sought medical help for stress or other major health problems
9. 16% have been looking for more than a year
10. 16% have applied for more than 50 jobs

Four Groups of Long-Term Unemployed

1. The short-timers. Call them the carefee. The most optimistic and half are under 30.
2. The long-timers. They have been out of work the longest, more than six months. This is oldest group, nearly one-third are 40 or older. And the best educated. One fourth have college degrees.
3. The downbeat. The most pessimistic. Just 6% say they expect to land a job with the next four weeks. Predominantly female, many with children at home.
4. The hardest-hit. Their personal finances are in trouble. Not a single person in this group is keeping up with household bills. They are the east educated. Two-thirds have no more than a high school diploma.