Single Mom Unemployment Survival

How can a single mom rebuild a career while unemployed ? One way is by contacting your local employment center for a list of community support resources. You may also want to connect with other single moms to find out what resources they are aware of. Network. Consider the following:

Start working on a facility with flexible hours and day care services
Make your own income source by getting a work from home job
Take a course in a field that helps you get a job that suits your abilities
Be self-employed and start your own workplace
Find a discussion of these and other ideas here.

Manage Sudden Unemployment

If close to, or high probability of being unemployed, you should focus your efforts on what is within your power to minimize the financial damage and prepare for a new position and opportunities. Here are the things you should be considering first:

* Fill the income gap
* Revise your budget and spending
* Start your tax planning
* Look for a new job
* Look after your mental health

Find more details on these topics here.

Support Your Spouse in a Job Search

Supporting a spouse during unemployment can be stressful. There are a lot of questions going through your head: How will you support your family financially? How can you help find a new job? If you are not already working, should you seek employment yourself? How should you adjust your budget? If you have children at home, how are they going to take the news?

At the same time, you are dealing with your spouse’s discouragement and your own personal worries. How can you alleviate your fears, find answers to your questions, 
and offer the support needed? As soon as possible, you should both sit down together and make a plan.

Here are a few tips to help.

Surviving Unemployment

As companies continue to downsize or close, even ideal employees may find themselves needing to find new employment.

While some of the following points may be seen as hind sight, we need to begin where we are.

• Prepare for the future
• Increase your faith
• Ask for help
• Live within your means
• Seek additional training
• Maintain health and well being

For details on these points, see the complete article here.

Moms’ jobs can make a difference …

The Church surveys and research make some projections for the sisters of the Church. Two thirds of all sisters will at one point be the principal breadwinner for their family. This comes about with the husband’s loss of employment, unexpected death or divorce, or a sister remaining single.

There is little opportunity for a mom with the responsibility of a child to move beyond minimum wage work. To make a shift is almost impossible for a family without help. They have to work hard to make the day-to-day.

The biggest motivator for moms is the financial security that a "non-traditional" job can offer. For more details on this topic, see the full article on a Wyoming program here.

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.

Tech Skills, the Disconnect

There is a current Tech demand; tech unemploymently  low. The advertised job specifications broadcast an extensive 'Wish List' few candidates can satisfy.  It’s a continuing complaint: Employers who need skilled IT professionals say they can’t find people to fill their open jobs. But job seekers say it’s getting harder and harder to find a job. Why the disconnect?

Average U.S. tech salaries rose 2.6 percent during 2012, according to the latest Dice Salary Survey.  Employers are rewarding those with the needed experience and certifications at much higher rates.

With a ‘tight market’ on the Tech side, be sure to make the most of every applicable skill you have in your resume. Remember you are replying to a Wish List; you need be just good enough to get the interview invitation. The pendulum is on the candidate’s side — “if you have the right skills, of course.”  For the complete article, click 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.

Reality of long-term unemployment

Picture the scariest thing you can think of. It’s guaranteed it's not nearly as scary as the real scariest thing in the world. That's long-term unemployment. So how long is  L O N G ?  Well …

There are two labor markets nowadays. There's the market for people who have been out of work for less than six months, and the market for people who have been out of work longer. The former is working pretty normally, and the latter is horribly dysfunctional.

To see a detailed discussion of the current labor market and its associated job filling characteristics see the complete article here.

Stay strong when the search is long

As of Spring 2013 over half of those who are unemployed have been so for over 39 weeks, that’s 9 months, a long time looking and hoping.

Dr. John O’Keefe, of the Center for Peak Performance says stay strong and maintain the right attitude.  “Staying positive in any situation, especially when one is in transition, has several benefits. Your mind tends to work to achieve your most dominant thought, so if you keep your thoughts positive you will move in that direction. However, if you are negative you will move in that direction as well.

For some insights into staying positive in your job search see the complete article here.

Schedule on-line job seeking consultation!

Interactive on-line job seeking consultation is available every Thursday at 8 PM MST. ·        Job seekers - assistance to prepare for securing a job. ·        Employment Specialists - assistance on how to best assist their ward members. ·        Unit leadership - understand the challenges of providing meaningful assistance. To make a reservation : ·        E-mail Jim Olsten at: cjolsten2@juno.com  an hour or more before the meeting, ·        OR Schedule an alternate time/day for an on-line interactive consultation. ·       Log-in to : https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/560775914 , videoconferencing software downloads and connects to the meeting automatically Technical details : ·        You can use MAC or PC computers at Pentium 4 level. ·        An audio headset is recommended OR use your microphone and speakers, ·        OR phone 312 878-3081 and provide meeting ID 560 775 914 for on phone audio ·        Attendee Quick-Start Instructions: click here ·       Technical support: 800-263-6317, provide meeting ID 560 775 914 for free support

Things to know before changing careers

Even in today's tight job market, you can make a career change. It's just a little harder and takes more planning.

If you don't like what you're doing or don't feel that there is any room for advancement, changing careers can be rewarding. The most important thing is to do the work before you make a change, so that you'll already be prepared. Here's 5 things you should consider before you change careers:

1. Create a plan
2. Think about your decision
3. Strengthen your social network
4. Brush up on your education
5. Take small steps

If you are considering a career change see more details here

Acing the interview

Reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows employers are still cautious about hiring. So it's more important than ever to really wow a potential employer.

Here are 5 Tips to help you put your best food forward and nail that interview.

1. It's not all about you. What is it that they need? What is it that their company needs?
2. Understand how work life has changed. Employers don't want to hear that you can't compromise or be flexible -- especially in a time when companies are forced to do more with less staff.
3. Practice makes perfect. You need to have more than one answer for any question you're going to be asked.
4. Consider easing in. If there's a way to do an interim or project-focused job, it could be your chance to show them what you're made of.
5. Leave money for last. People can easily get filtered out if they start setting limits about what they will do and how much they'll do it for. 

If these tips make sense, get more details here.

The Prophets Speak!

The Bretheren have given specific and sound counsel over many decades relating the responsibility of the Priesthood to be concerned and care for the temporal welfare of the members.

Leaders should be aware of the needs of each member, active or otherwise and utilize the Priesthood for their rescue.  Selected quotes on the subject available 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.