Archive for September, 2007

pre-employment background checks

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

Credit scores are now being included in many pre-employment background checks. One survey showed that 35 percent of human resource departments are now using this information to assist in determining who they do or do not hire. The idea behind this is that those individuals who have good credit scores have demonstrated responsibility and are, therefore, the ideal employees. These individuals are viewed as more reliable and less likely to call in sick without reason or arrive late.

Another reason for the recent popularity of background checks that include credit scores, is the fact these reports almost always list an individual’s previous residents and employers. With a large portion of the population falsifying or inflating their employment history, credit reports are now assisting businesses in weeding out the untruthful

Employers that require this information are looking for specific things such as a pattern of unpaid bills. Forgetting to pay an electricity bill once in two years is very unlikely to trip warning signals in an employer’s mind. That being said, repeated offenses will place a potential employee in a negative light.

For those with low credit scores this can be increasingly nerve racking, especially since it’s much harder to increase one’s credit without a job to pay the bills. Knowing what cannot be held against an individual in a background check can make a difference.

Although a history of unpaid bills can effect an employer’s decision on whether or not to hire and individual, businesses are not allowed to discriminate against anyone who has had to file bankruptcy. Doing so violates the Fair Credit Reporting Act and can be disputed. Negative credit information that is older than seven years will not effect one’s ability to get hired.

Sadly, lack of credit can be held against an individual. Although some individuals prefer to deal with cash and rent as opposed to buy, a completely blank credit report is seen as a strike against a potential employee by some companies.

If one is denied a position due to the results of credit information that surfaced during a background check, the company that request the investigation has let the individual know why. For some this may give the opportunity to clear up misrepresenting facts, such as how a pattern of unpaid bills was not intentional neglect but due to a long and severe illness or other serious circumstances.

recession looming for empoyment outlook in dallas

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

Those living in Dallas, Texas should be happy to know that the area is currently one of the best places to live in. In the last year, the Dallas-Fort Worth area has lead the nation in job creation. Because of the growing economy is such areas, Texas was responsible for a third of the countries job gains over the last twelve months.

With the addition of 68,700 new Dallas jobs, the area is certainly the best city in the state, if not the country, for those looking for employment. The Dallas-Fort Worth area beat out other large metropolitan areas such as New York City and Phoenix, Arizona.

This news surprised many who thought that they housing market slump and the resulting mortgage lay-offs would has injured the area’s economy more. Since decreased home sales usually means an increase in unemployment, the assumption would usually be correct. According to Mark Dotzour,the top economist with Texas A&M University Real Estate Center, the housing situation would have been a lot worse had it not been for the growth of Dallas jobs. Dotzour also believes that many area citizens have incorrect opinions on the city’s economy due to the fact that positive job news is being offer shadowed by negative real-estate issues.

Despite the good news, many do not feel that the favorable conditions will continue for long. With a slow decrease in the number of jobs being created, it seems a recession is on it’s way. If predictions are correct, jobseekers may want to increase their efforts toward finding employment as soon as possible. Those without a current position may want to consider contacting an agency that specializes in job-finding assistance. Now is the time to brush up resumes and increase interviewing skills so that one may be able to benefit from new jobs in Dallas, Texas before the recession hits.

injecting interns into workforce is a good thing

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

Undoubtedly, internships assist college students in setting themselves apart from other recent graduates when it comes time to enter the job market. Aside from altruistic reasons, creating such a program also benefits employers in many different ways.

By creating an internship program a company stands to gain more than just positive PR. Hiring college students can help to increase office place productivity. Interns often handle tasks that take a up a lot of other employee’s time. This enables other staff members to focus their energy on more pressing assignments, while allowing the intern to gain valuable work experience.

Interns often interject enthusiasm into the workplace. For most of them, all work experiences are new and therefore more interesting than they might be for seasoned cubicle veterans. Many businesses find that this spark of energy can be contagious and help in raising office place morale.

With today’s interns coming from a more technologically advanced generations, having an internship program can also bring new skills to the office. Many students keep track of new computer trends and can bring fresh ideas to table. Those in charge of internship programs should consider these new thoughts a valuable resource and encourage them. By doing so, this will also increase students’ level of satisfaction with the program.

One of the best reasons to create an internship program is the recruiting benefits. Employers should view all interns as potential staff additions. This way, a company has the first shot at new talent before it is even available to the rest of the job search market. This will reduce recruiting costs and help reduce hiring mistakes. After all, when else does a company have the chance to see six to twelve weeks worth of an individual’s work before they are hired on?

By creating an internship program an employer also has a chance to have a hand in molding the talent of tomorrow. If such an individual does later become a full-time member of the staff then they are already pre-trained.

nursing jobs in las vegas

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

With national media coverage being given to the US nursing shortage, it’s no surprise that many colleges are seeing an increase in students wanting to study for healthcare careers. One South Nevada nursing school has seen the number of students more than double in the last year. With an increase in soon to be graduates, Las Vegas nursing jobs still vacant could easily be filled soon. The problem lies in convincing new nurses to stay in the area.

As the fear of hospitals finding themselves without enough staff to meet demands increases, recruitment efforts begin to breach state lines. Due to this, many individuals who might have taken these jobs in Las Vegas are leaving the area in hopes of finding larger salaries.

Some of those who will be graduating from the University of Southern Nevada nursing program say that they plan to stay in Las Vegas only long enough to pad their resumes with a little experience. Texas and California along with a few eastern states tend to be the areas that are drawing away many of the new graduates. Because of this hospital recruiters are having to look else where for individuals to fulfill Las Vegas nursing positions. At this time, approximately one third of Nevada’s nurses have come from other states, many of which are sent to the area by one of the nearly 2,000 nursing agencies throughout the country.

Due to the number of individual’s leaving, those who are looking for Las Vegas nursing jobs should find less competition than one might think. Salaries and benefits have been set with online recruitment in mind. As more nurses retire, Las Vegas nurses will likely see another increase in pay. This should assist in keeping more recent graduates in the area.

Those who do not live in Las Vegas and are not opposed to the idea of relocation should consider Nevada. As more nurses move to California and Texas, less competition can be found elsewhere. USN’s Dean Of Nursing, Dr. Mable Smith, says those who take Las Vegas job opportunities will “make an impact in terms of trying to combat the nursing shortage.” She also stated that area facilities and salaries could easily stand up and compete with those of other states.

UK’s best employers

Wednesday, September 19th, 2007

When it comes to searching for jobs in London, soon-to-be graduates have to consider a variety of things such as salary, job outlook, benefits, and personal expectations. Knowing where to begin searching can take away a lot of pressure. Companies with reputations for being highly rated by the staff they employ usually offer the most guaranteed career satisfaction. Monster had this in mind when they complied their list of the 20 best large companies to work for in the UK. All of the companies listed below employ at least 5,000 individuals.

Heading the list was the tax advisory firm KPMG, which has 22 different locations throughout the UK. Aside from offering favorable working conditions, according to current employees, the company places a strong focus on flexibility. This enables those who work there to reach what Monster refers to as a “rewarding work/home life balance.”

Next on the list was Barchester Healthcare, a company that runs 170 different residential care homes. Since the operation of such facilities is a twenty-four hour deal, Barchester has seen to it that many of their employees are able to work from home. They also supply supply Blackberries for staff to assist in making what could be a difficult and time consuming job much easier.

The company that had the highest score from current employees was number nine on the list. Mothercare UK employees rated their satisfaction level with the company at a very 81 percent. One reason contributing to such a high score was the low stress work environment offered there.

Employees at Cadburry Schweppes were pleased with the pleasant, family-orientated environment. Office place morale was high with this company. According to Monster, the staff reported feeling that their contributions made a difference in business and that they felt they had opportunities for career progression.

Other companies making the list for best London jobs and the surrounding area included RBS Retail Banking, American Express Services Europe, Vodafone UK.

Dallas Nursing Careers Remain Numerous

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

If one were to glance into several major hospitals throughout the country, they would find that, although America is experiencing a shortage of qualified nursing professionals in healthcare careers, the number of RNs and LPNs still needed differs from city to city. Areas like Dallas, Texas are not fairing as badly as many other cities are.

According to a report by the Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council, hospitals in north Texas are currently more successful at recruiting and retaining nurses that their peers throughout the state. Considering the national shortage, many cities are focusing mainly on recruiting, which can lead to a higher turn over than would exist in other circumstances.

Despite the fact that the area is not suffering as severely as others, those searching for Dallas jobs as nurses will be greeted by employers. With the area’s population aging and increasing the, more nurses are still needed. At this time approximately 6.1 percent of all hospital positions are left unfilled. For RNs, the vacancy level is even higher, at 10 percent of still remaining unfilled

With the average age of a Dallas nurse being 45, the Texas Nurses Association says that approximately 50 percent of current hospital nursing staff will be retiring within the next fifteen years. With fewer students entering into nursing programs, this could easily begin to cause problems within as few as five years.

Individuals who are looking for a nursing position in the Dallas-Fort Worth area will be happy to know that despite the possibility of increased hours, the current situation is causing employers to be more flexible that they might be in other circumstances. According to Express News, local nurses “are involved in staffing decisions that can be adjusted on a shift-by-shift basis, if appropriated.”

In hopes of keeping the quality of care found in area hospitals at a satisfactory level, Dallas area healthcare employers are not only accepting applications from locals nurses. Recruiting efforts have been extended to neighboring states and even abroad. With area hospitals doing all that they can to retain nursing staff, those who do have Dallas jobs in the healthcare industry are more likely than ever to see their pay checks increase in size.

r.i.p. blogs with jobs

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

As the number of blogs providing job content has become too numerous for one person to manage, this site will henceforth be a depository for employment-related content. I may still write reviews every now and then, interspersed with general content, but they’ll be few and far between. R.I.P., Blogs with Jobs.