“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” – Aristotle

Few fields impact as many people as Education. We all remember our first day of school, our High School Prom and our College days and, for some of us, getting sent to the Principal’s Office. Tough times have impacted the Education workforce just as it has most other industries. That being said, there are many opportunities out there if you are flexible (and quick to apply). From Teachers to Professors to Principals, today’s post focuses on resources, advice and who’s hiring.

Where to Look:

• School – Jobs – This is a job search board that focuses on (as you might have guessed) education related jobs. The main page has a simple interface, leading with their search page. You can enter your area of expertise, location and desired salary for your search. The right hand side of the page has additional links for your resume. Click on the job of your choice for a full page description and contact information. There were 377 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Jobs4Teacher.com – Another job search site for teachers, you can register or just go right into the simple search (What and Where). At the bottom of the page are additional links for Teaching Jobs by State, Education Jobs by State and top teaching jobs. Once you click on the State option, a page with states are listed as well as an interactive map.

Recruiters for Education:

• Directory-of-Recruiters – This listing of recruiters who specialize in education is posted on i-recruit.com. There is a brief overview of each recruiter and each has a link to that recruiter’s website. At the top of the page are additional recruiter links for Higher Education, Medical Education and eLearning. The right hand side of the page has additional links for related resources.

• Executive Search Firms and Job Recruiters – This resource, which is provided by Careeroverview.com, lists a number of recruiters down the center of the page with overviews and embedded links. But that is not all. On the left hand side of the page is a listing of popular careers, one of which is Education. Additionally, there are links at the top of the page for assorted career related topics.

Resume Samples:

• Teaching – Teacher Resume Examples – A listing of resume samples for teachers (with various categories) is provided by Resume-Resource.com. You can check for additional resume samples by entering your category in the “search” field at the bottom of the page. Additionally, there are related links for writing resumes and cover letters. Last, but not least, there are quite a few career related links at the top of the page and right hand side of the page.

Good luck in your search.

“Whoever said money can’t buy happiness simply didn’t know where to go shopping.” – Bo Derek

One of the first part-time jobs I had when I was in college was in Retail. Granted, it was working as a cashier in a (now bankrupt) department store. It’s where I got my first taste of “working with the public” and I can tell you, there were as many rewarding experiences as there were lousy experiences. Retail is an interesting occupation, you get to learn a lot about a wide range of products, you get to work with people and there are many different roles you can play. Probably more than most industries, Retail is generally hard hit when times are bad and it also a large percentage of part-time or seasonal workers. Even though times are still tough, there are still an amazing number of jobs in Retail. Today’s post provides a few resources for those looking for retail careers.

Retail Chains:

• Macy’s – A national retailer with over 800 stores and over 161,000 employees, Macy’s is one of the best known retailers in the US. Their careers page has a company overview center right with embedded links to their jobs page and college recruiting site. If you follow the jobs page link, you are led to their job search page. The top of this page has links for benefits, about Macy’s and apply. Below this is a general job search box where you can search by job function or state. There were 4,251 job opportunities when I checked the page.

• Lowe’s – A specialty retailer, Lowe’s is a “do it yourself” retailer similar to Home Depot. As with many retailers, there are a number of career choices when looking at their Careers page. For Lowe’s, these are: Stores, Distribution or Corporate Headquarters. These categories are listed at the top middle of the page. The top of the page also has tabs, one of which is for College Recruiting. The Job Search link (a tab at the top or a box on the middle right hand side of the page) leads to a search engine which allows job search across the entire company. There is a Hot Jobs box on the right hand side of the page categorized by job function. Interestingly, you can subscribe to this section of the page via an RSS link. There is no easy way to search across the entire company, you must first select your city and state.

• Sears Holdings – Another well known retailer with a broad business model, combined with Kmart several years ago is struggling through the recession like many retail chains. Their careers page has links a the top of the page for Areas of Opportunity, College Programs, Events and Search Jobs. The center of the page has links for opportunities by type of job (Entry Level Hourly, Professional/Salaried and College/Military Programs. Clicking on Search jobs brings up two choices – Professional or Entry Level jobs and clicking either of these links provides additional job search choices.

• Kohl’s – A another retail store company, their careers page leads with “building great futures”. The page is filled with 5 boxes representing the different career options: Campus Recruiting, Corporate Headquarters, New York Office, Stores and Distribution Centers. You can check each of these career choices to see the available jobs or use the “current openings” at the top right hand side of the page. There were 336 job opportunities when I checked the page.

• Retail Recruiters – This firm is a national recruiter specializing in Retail from Department Stores to Discount Stores to Supermarkets. Their web page has two boxes of interest on the left hand side of the page: Career Opportunities or Submit Your Resume. Clicking on career opportunities provides a partial list of jobs or you can submit your resume for consideration.

Good luck in your search.

For those of you who have followed by blog from “the early days”, you will know that I work for a Wall Street firm. Two years ago, the answer to my blog title would have been “no one”. But today, there are more jobs on Wall Street than they can fill (“not true” you say?). Some of the headhunters I use to fill my open positions have been begging me for names of potential candidates for all of the jobs they have. How can this be? There are two things driving this trend. First, all of the Wall Street firms made very deep cuts in their headcount (more than they could afford if they wanted to get the work done). Second, just about every firm on Wall Street has recovered. The combination has created one of the most dramatic turnaround in supply and demand in recent memory. Today’s post provides leads to “Who’s Hiring on Wall Street”, were there are over 13,000 career opportunities across the companies and sites listed below.

• Goldman Sachs – Goldman is much in the news, and they do have jobs and back to earning large profits. Their main career page is pretty impressive. Several tabs at the top for Careers, the Firm, Begin and Search, click Begin to (you guessed it) begin. More tabs on this page, with Key Dates, Unique Positions, Apply Now, Recruiting Events and Summer Intern Toolkit, plan to spend a fair amount of time surfing this site. While you can’t search for a list of jobs on Goldman’s site, you can use this link for Indeed.com – Goldman Sachs Jobs.

• Morgan Stanley – Another big firm on Wall Street, their careers page has tabs at the top for Why Morgan Stanley, University Programs, Search & Apply and more. Center page includes links for background on the company while the right hand side of the page has two links for job search. Bottom right hand side of the page includes a link for featured opportunities. Clicking on the “Search All Jobs” link at the bottom of the page leads to a full page where jobs must be searched by division where there were 1,890 career opportunities when I checked the site.

• JP Morgan Chase – Another well known financial institution, their career site provides an overview of the company and then has links for Experienced Hires and University Programs.  There is a link for “Jobs in Demand” as well as a “Search Jobs” tab.  As with the other sites, it is worthwhile to register. There were over 6,965 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Bank of America – Bank of America, which now owns Merrill Lynch following the financial crisis, is another one of those “Banks on Wall Street” (like JP Morgan Chase). Their careers center leads with an company overview, followed by selecting your country so that you can begin your job search. The left hand side of the screen has links for Job Search, Job Areas, Lines of Business, Campus Recruiting and more. There were over 4,000 job opportunities in the US when I checked the site.

• JobsOnWallStreet.com – What better place to look for jobs on Wall Street than a search engine with that name. There is a Candidates section on the right hand side of the screen, where you can post your resume or click Find a Job. Above this are additional links, including a Financial Recruiters directory (not yet populated) and a Job Openings link. There were over 1,200 job opportunities with a Wall Street description when I checked the site.

Good luck in your search.

“Baseball is 90% mental. The other half is physical.” –Yogi Berra

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “industry”, the first thing I think of is smokestacks (hence the picture). I’m sure that has something to do with my age . Job search is much the same as today’s quote (90% mental, the other half physical). Apart from the math, you do need to give your job search 140% of your time and effort. The biggest part of the job search effort is the mental part – creating your list of opportunities. The physical part is actually acting on your list. Today’s post focuses on specific industries.

• Medicalworkers.com – The tag line for this site -  “The Most Medical Jobs” tells it all and, as you may have already guessed, this site focuses on medical jobs. Their main page leads with a simple search box (enter your job &/or location) or you can use the advanced search (click the “Advanced Search” button directly below “Find Jobs”).  The advanced search function provides quite a few additional choices.  Back on the main page, there are three main lists directly below the search bar – “Allied Health Jobs”, “Nursing Jobs” and “Physician Jobs” all of which have additional links below the headings. You can also click “Browse Jobs” at the bottom of the page. With this option you can pick your state, pick your job (based on the first letter) or pick your company (also by the first letter). There were over 80,000 Job listings when I checked the site.

• Apparelsearch.com -  The “Employment Guide for the fashion and clothing industry”, this job search site is structured somewhat differently than most. Top of the page has links for “Fashion Careers”, “Message Boards”, “Engines” and more.  Below this is a very long listing of clothing industry companies, with a brief overview and links to their job sites. There are links for additional pages at the bottom of the page. Right hand side of the page has quite a few additional related links and it is worth the few extra minutes to take a look at these.

• Oilandgassearch.com – This is a global job search site which has a nice crisp interface. There are links on the left hand side for Candidate Register, Links, Resume tips and more. Center page leads with a search bar (select you country), discipline (what you do) and then click “Search Jobs”. Below this are links for “hot jobs” and a link for “view all jobs” at the bottom of the page. There were over 4,080 Job listings when I checked the site.

• EntertainmentCareers.net – “Entertainment Jobs, Internships and Career Information in the Entertainment Industry” is the tag line for this site. There is a quick search bar on the top right hand side of the page, below which is a link for Jobseeker followed by another set of links for jobs, internships, books and more. Center page has featured jobs with a brief overview and a link to the job.  There is a very small box on the right hand side of the page for quick search by function. Clicking Jobs at the top leads to a page of job and sub-industry types.

• Computerjobs.com – The lead page is right to the point. There are links at the top for “Login” or “Register” followed by a keyword search or skill search. You can upload your resume or get recommended jobs sent to you every day. The right hand side of the screen has links for “Popular Job Locations” and “Job Skill Search”. There were over 7,500 Job listings when I checked.

Good luck in your search.

“A sale is not something you pursue, it’s what happens to you while you are immersed in serving your customer.” – Anonymous

You know the  old saying, a good salesperson can sell anything. I’m sure there is some truth to it, but to be a successful salesperson takes a certain personality and skill-set that (in my opinion) can’t be easily be taught. It is one of the few careers where you know fairly quickly how you are doing (and if you are not doing well you will not last long). It is also one of the few careers where there are (generally) plenty of jobs (more than most) but they are the most difficult to find. “Where” you may ask are these jobs that are so difficult to find – read on.

Retail:

• Home Depot – Home Depot is know as the Do It Yourself store. They have an established business model. Their careers page is clean and crisp. There are links at the top left hand side of the page for 5 different functional areas of employment, plus one for new store openings (where they will obviously need help). Below this on the left hand side is a search function, followed by a number of additional links to related information. Click the job search box and you will have a number of choices. Of course, you are looking for Sales Associates, but there are also click boxes for Store Managers, Customer Service and Supply Chain. Also, at the bottom of the page they have a link for their  career fair calendar. Unfortunately, you must register on the site and check each job type individually.

• Nordstom – What? Hardware is not your thing? What about the soft side, upscale department stores. They have a great careers page. Center page there are three choices: Store openings (they will need salespeople), Career paths (look for sales) and create a profile (sales!). Create your search using the key words “Retail Sales”. There were over 1,000 Retail Sales opportunities when I checked the site.

Other Sales:

• Google – No, you did not read this wrong. Google has an amazing number of sales jobs. Rather than go through their main careers page, the link to the left leads directly to their sales jobs. Center page is the long list of jobs, left hand side are links to Life at Google, locations, student jobs and more. The right hand side of the page has related links.

Resources and Leads:

• Sales, Advertising, & Marketing – This is a listing of leads and resources that will keep you busy for a very long time. Riley Guide’s list of Sales related jobs is an amazing collection of job search sites, executive recruiters, trade shows and the list goes on.

• Salesjobs.com – This is the “World’s largest Sales Employment Site” according their tag line. And, according to the stats on their main page, there are over 200,000 job opportunities on their site. The main page has tabs at the top, but Candidates seems to be the only one that would be of interest. Below this (middle of the page) is a quick search box (using industry and area code).  Bottom left hand side is the candidates section where you can upload your resume, login or get advice. Clicking the Candidates tab at the top leads to a page with dedicated resources such as Search, post resume, advice, sales links and more.

• National Association of Sales Professionals – This is an example of a professional organization (this one focusing on sales). In addition to other services, this association also has a career center (one of the tabs at the top of the page). Click on career center and the left hand side of the page is dedicated to Job Seekers where you can post a resume, View jobs, create personal alerts and more. When I clicked on the view jobs link, there were over 2,900 opportunities.

Good luck in your search.

“Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.” – Rich Cook

The vast majority of companies have some form of technology, but not may companies are drive technology. There are the usual suspects (some of which are featured below), but it really depends on how broadly or narrowly you define technology. As an example, is Pixar (now part of the Disney empire) a technology company or an entertainment company? The answer, of course, is yes. So at the least, identifying technology companies can be as clear as mud. There were over 10,000 job opportunities across the companies featured today. For today, we will try to be as purist as possible as we continue our focus on company career sites.

• IBM – Another name known by everyone, IBM is truly a global company and its products range from manufactured goods to business services. The Job Seekers page has a video about the company, a section for University Students and search by country. Select “search openings” and you can search for jobs or register on the site. The Advanced Search function provides a number of options so that you can focus you search. There were over 3,900 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Microsoft – We all know what this company does. In addition to being at the top of Fortune’s most profitable list, Microsoft is also on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work for“. Based in Redmond Washington, the Careers page allows job search by region or Development Centers. Picking your country of choice from the center of the page takes you to that country’s career page. You can register, search jobs, submit your resume and create a job agent. The page also provides links to career paths, detailed information on the company and a student center. There were over 100 job opportunities when I checked the site (the site only shows 100 jobs at a time).

• Hewlet Packard – HP’s career website provides an overview of the company with links to Search Job and Submit your Profile on the left of the page. Their are separate tabs for Students & Graduates and Diversity. Searching all HP jobs returns over 4,300 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Apple – Apple has been on the upswing for some time now, and they are admired on many fronts. Their career page has two paths, Apple Pro and Apple Store. A fairly simple page, which has Start Your Search at the top right hand side. You then select Retail or Corporate jobs center page. Clicking Search Jobs links to a job search engine. You can register for the site or just search. A generic search of Corporate jobs returned 1,055 corporate job opportunities when I checked the site (be sure to check their retail jobs as well).

• Honeywell International – According to their website, Honeywell is a diversified technology and manufacturing company with business in, aerospace, control technologies and automotive products. Their careers site has links at the top for Job Search, Career Paths, University Relations and more. The left hand side of the page has news, while center page has Honeywell Careers. The right hand side lists a number of career paths, all with links with additional information and a small search box on the top right hand side. The job search page has quick links for search in other languages. As an example, there were 577 job opportunities in the US when I checked the site.

Good luck in your search.

“Sometimes it takes an expert to point out the obvious.” – Scott Allen

Consulting is “The act of providing information, analysis, and recommendations” and is a career choice that is very different than most. To be a successful consultant, you need to have great interpersonal skills, a high level of confidence, good communications skills and a particular area of expertise. It also doesn’t hurt to be good at sales (in fact, it is a requirement at the more senior levels) and not mind traveling. Many consultants are “road warriors” for much of their careers. Continuing the series of posts targeting company career sites, today we review several consulting firms.

For an overview, please also read “Have you thought about consulting?“.

• Accenture – Also on the Fortune’s Most Admired list, Accenture is best known for management consulting, technology services and outsourcing. Their career site has tabs at the top for Working Here, Career Options, Search Jobs and more. The middle of the page has a brief paragraph about the company and a number of other career search tools below this. You can explore where you fit by clicking “Find where you fit”. You can also explore career opportunities based on skill. Search Jobs requires that you use a drop down list of all of the countries where Accenture is located. Click you country from the list to see opportunities. There were over 1,000 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Boston Consulting Group – Also a very well known and highly respected consulting firm.  Their career page which includes background on the company, career path and how to apply. You can apply online or check out their college recruiting program if you are still in school.

• Bain & Company – According to their website, Bain & Company “is a global business consulting firm with offices in all major cities. We help management make the big decisions: on strategy, operations, mergers & acquisitions, technology and organization”. Their careers page provides a brief overview, with tabs at the top of the page for This is Bain, Build your Career, Life at Bain and Apply to Bain. Click the “Apply to Bain” to see their process and apply.

• IBM Global Business Services – Most people don’t think of IBM when they think of consulting (or consulting when the think of IBM), but this line of business represents a major portion of IBM’s revenue. Their Business Consulting division provides diverse consulting offerings. The careers page for this division has excellent information on “why join us” as well as a listing of industry expertise. Click “career opportunities” on the left hand side of the screen and then “search for job openings”. There were  526 job opportunities in this division when I checked the site.

• Oliver Wyman – Another international consulting firm, Oliver Wyman focuses on strategy, operations and risk management (plus some others). Their career site has a brief overview center page with links on the left hand side of the page for “Opportunity”, “Impact”, “Your Career” and more. There are links on the right hand side of the page for career tracks. Click the apply link if you are interested.

Good luck in your search.

“Some people dream of success… while others wake up and work hard at it.” – Unknown

The posts over the next few days are about focusing on the source of jobs – companies. Yes, headhunters, job search sites and networking are all great ways to get a job, but let’s face it – all of the jobs are with companies. So I figured, why not start at the source for a few days? So stop dreaming about success and let’s get to work!

What are Company Career Websites?

Most major firms have a company website with a “careers” or “job seekers” section typically on the first page of their website.  Most will allow you to search for open positions and post your resume.  There tends to be a higher “hit” rate on company websites (assuming there is a reasonable match between your resume and the job requirements).

Tips:

• Use web resources to look for companies in your industry (or industries that interest you) such as Fortune Magazine’s “Fortune 1000“.  The list lets you view the Fortune 1000 by various categories (companies, industry, best companies to work for, etc.).
• Do research on the company prior to posting your resume or applying for a job (sites like vault.com).
• Know your worth.  Look at listings in the job websites that are similar to your current position (or positions that interest you) to see what salary is listed.  New sites, such as glassdoor.com are also useful to get insight on companies and compensation.

Financial Services Company Career Sites:

• Blackstone – Blackstone is a well known asset management company.  After giving a very good overview of the company, the left-hand side of the site provides the full range of hire types, from Internships through Experienced Hires.  You can easily browse the open positions as well as register for the site. There were 10 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• JP Morgan Chase –  Similar to the other sites, this site gives an overview of the company and then has links for Experienced Hires and University Programs.  There is a link for “Jobs in Demand” as well as a “Search Jobs” tab.  As with the other sites, it is worthwhile to register. There were over 4,000 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• HSBC – The HSBC career page starts off with a map of the world, you click where you want to work (or where you live) and then the site takes you to a more focused view for your region and country.  The site includes “Tips & Guidelines”  for candidate preparation as well as job search, recruiting events, career development and areas of opportunity. There were 250 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Citigroup – Their careers page has two main segments – Professional Job Search and Graduate Recruitment. Focusing on the Professional Job Search, there is a choice of four regions (and your language choice). Click on the region of your choice and select Go. Once there, you will see a brief overview in the center of the page with several choices on the left hand side of the screen (Job Search, Build Your Profile and Graduates & Undergraduates). The right hand side of the screen has links to the different businesses within Citigroup. There were 1,280 job opportunities globally when I checked the site.

• Bank of New York Mellon Corporation – A leading asset management and securities services company, and headquartered in New York, The Bank of New York Mellon over $960 billion in assets under management. Their career page has a brief overview center page, with links on the left for jobs, areas of interest, college recruiting and more. Click “Search for BNY Mellon Jobs” to link to their jobs search page. There were 523 job opportunities when I checked the site.

Good luck in your search.

“What you want to do, and what you can do, is limited only by what you can dream.”  – Mike Melville

A fresh new list of the Best Companies to Work for from Fortune. The “Best” list is compiled by the Great Place to Work Institute which surveys employees and assess company culture. Many of these companies show up on a variety of lists, but in my view this is probably the best list to be on (no pun intended). So what does being the best mean? Well it is different for each of the companies, but there are recurring themes through-out. You will have heard of many of these companies, but probably not all. As usual, we start from the top.

• SAS – Number 1 on the list and up from # 20 on last years list (their 13th year on the list) . The career page provides a brief overview of the company followed by a worldwide career search function by region. Clicking through region will lead to country and then a choice of Professional Opportunities and Student Opportunities. Following on to job search will allow registration or sign-in. A quick search for the US returned 55 job opportunities, but check your location for opportunities.

• Edward Jones – Headquartered in St. Louis MO and ranked #2 on the list (same as last year), Edward Jones is a brokerage firm and hired 1,926 people last year.  The main section tabs are: Financial Advisor Opportunities, Branch Support Opportunities and Headquarters Opportunities.  There is also a tab for students.  There is an “apply now” link at the bottom of the page which allows you to explore opportunities across the tabs mentioned above.  Once you click on one of these sections, you can add your profile and apply for jobs.

• Wegmans Food Markets – Wegmans is a 70+  food market store chain located primarily in the Northeast has over 36,000 employees and is ranked 3 on the list. They’ve been on Fortune’s list since 1998 and have been in the top 3 for the last 4 years. Their career site has tons of information on the company and what they are about (which is a very big part of what makes them one of the best companies to work for). This includes the reasons to work there, Diversity, Educational Initiatives and, of course, job listings. The job search is fairly basic. Once you find a potential job you apply via email. There were 55 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Google – Ranked 4th on the list (again), Google plans to hire thousands this year. Everyone has heard of Google, so not much else to say here. There Careers page has a brief overview (“Let’s Work Together”) with links to each of their hiring locations. The left hand side of the page has additional related links. You can also look by function (right center page). There doesn’t seem to be one place where you can look at all of the job openings, so you will need to be selective in your search.

• Nugget Market – Back from last year and ranked 5th on the list (from 10th last year, Nugget is an 82 year old company that has never had a layoff and is located in California. Their career page provides company news and history as well as an “Apply Now” link and review of benefits. Job search is not available. Interested candidates should apply online.

Good luck in your search.

“Every sale has five basic obstacles: no need, no money, no hurry, no desire, no trust.” – Zig Ziglar

Back to the Fortune 500 list. You know the saying, there is safety in large numbers (both profit and number of employees). I prefer larger companies (say 20,000 + employees) to smaller companies. The Fortune 500 will give you a larger size, well known company that has been successful (at least in Revenue). Today’s list ranges from manufacturing to financial services. There were over 3,000 job opportunities across this list when I checked their sites.

• General Dynamics- Ranked 83 on the list, General Dynamics is know for “aviation; land and expeditionary combat vehicles and systems, armaments, and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and mission-critical information systems and technologies”and employs over 92,000 employees according to it’s website. Select Careers from the left hand side of the page for a company overview, list of benefits, work/life balance and a link to their job openings. There were over 2,000 job opportunities when I checked the sites.

• Prudential Financial – This insurance and financial services company is ranked 84 on the list. They have a really well-developed careers page, with tabs for Campus, Benefits, Diversity and a general tab with a company overview. From the main page, you can use a number of links on the right hand side of the page (such as Career Fairs) or check job opportunities based on type of position.

• Humana – Ranked at 85 on the list, Humana which is known for managed care, insurance and health care. Their careers page has an overview center page with embedded links for a number of categories (such as Career Opportunities and Benefits).  The links  on the left hand side of the page mirror those center page. Clicking Career Opportunities takes you to their job search page where you can log in or search for a job.  There were over 200 job opportunities when I checked the site.

• Liberty Mutual Insurance Group – Insurance company Liberty Mutual is ranked at 86. Their careers page has a company overview (slide show based) with links on the left hand side for Find your next job (split by experience hire or recent grad) with additional related links on the right hand side of the page. There were 710 job opportunities for experienced hires and 135 job opportunities for college grad / entry level jobs when I checked the site.

• Deere – Ranked at 87, with over 56.000 people, Deere ranks as one of the large industrial equipment manufacturers. Their careers page has a single link (excluding the general company links) for selecting your country. Once on your country page, there is a general overview center page with additional links on the left hand side of the page for a range of career related topics.

Good luck in your search.