Inside Express | Journey

In this Recession, Are You Planning a Vacation from Work?

By tiffany monhollon on Monday, May 4, 2009

It’s that time of year when people traditionally start making summer vacation plans. But the annual summer vacation has taken a hit as the recession has worn on. Last year, reports showed that consumers were already buckling down by planning to save money in lieu of taking a vacation.

But, experts say that as economic woes have continued to increase stress levels over the past year, this year, more people may feel the need to take a break from work and spend time with family or friends.

poll by twiigs.com

Want to share your specific thoughts on taking a vacation in this recession? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section of this post!

Reader Surveys The Job Search

Mature Workers Face Toughest Job Market, Readers Say

By Job Journey on Wednesday, April 29, 2009

The debate over age and the job search may still be raging, but our results are in, and according to our readers, mature workers are having the hardest time in this job market.

In fact, of the 950 votes cast in our poll, 70% of readers selected mature workers as those having a harder time getting work, while 30% selected new grads.

That doesn’t necessarily mean great news for college students who are already hot on the job hunt ahead of May graduation. The National Association of Colleges and Employers have projected employers will hire 22% fewer graduates than in 2008, and many job searchers are finding that it’s tough to land a full-time gig without on-the-job experience.

However, help and support for college students entering this rough market is available. For example, social networking career site LinkedIn recently announced a company wide initiative devoted entirely to equipping May 2009 graduates to enter the workforce. You can also read how college students can start preparing for the job search now.

There’s also help for mature workers. One great resource is the AARP’s support and guidelines for mature workers who are looking for work. Also, check out our blog post on combating age discrimination in the job search.

The age versus experience debate may never fully go away. But reality is, no matter what your age or experience level, it’s important to be dedicated to a cohesive, professional job search process if you’re looking for work. So, polish your approach today, and focus your time, attention, and efforts on landing those interviews!

Want to know what others are saying about age and the employment process? Check out the comments thread our poll generated. Have a question you’d like to share? Leave it on our Q&A page.

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Reader Surveys The Daily Grind Work/Life Balance

Mandatory Days Off Without Pay – Vacation or Layoff?

By shannon on Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Current economic conditions are affecting everyone and forcing some companies to make tough decisions regarding their employees. While a number of companies have had no choice but to lay off their staff or make drastic budget cuts in recent months, other companies have explored unique options to retain their employees while still trying to keep their businesses alive.

Some companies have begun instituting furloughs. According to Wikipedia, a furlough is a temporary leave of absence from employment, whether voluntary or involuntary. Other businesses have resorted to mandatory furloughs, requiring employees to take off a certain number of days per month or year – without pay – to avoid laying off their employees.

If your company chose to institute mandatory unpaid furlough days, would you be grateful that you still had a job and take the opportunity to do something for yourself during your time off? Or would you be frustrated that you were forced to take unpaid vacation days? Let us know by voting in our poll below.

poll by twiigs.com

Inside Express Reader Surveys

What Are Your Burning Workplace Questions?

By tiffany monhollon on Friday, April 10, 2009

Have you ever had a question you’re dying to ask about your job but you aren’t sure who – or how – to ask?

We’re starting a new feature here at the Express Job Blog where you can post questions for our experts to answer.

Your questions can be anonymous, or you can provide your name. To ask a question, just leave it in a comment on this post, or add them to our new “Your Questions” page, and our team will select a few questions each month – and interview experts to get the answers you’re looking for.

We’ll share answers to your questions as we receive them.

So, start asking away! Oh, and here are a few guidelines to keep in mind. We’re looking forward to hearing from you

Inside Express Reader Surveys

Your Questions

By tiffany monhollon on Friday, April 10, 2009

Do you have a question about the world of work, the job search process, interviewing, career development – or something else work-related?

Post your questions here, and each month, we’ll select a few questions, interview our team of experts, and post our answers to the blog! Questions can be anonymous, or you can provide your name. Please keep our comments policy in mind when posting your questions.

Go ahead – ask away!

Inside Express

Comments Policy

By Job Journey on Friday, April 10, 2009

We welcome your comments, thoughts, suggestions, and questions, so please, comment away! The Express Employment Professionals Job Blog, Movin’ On Up, is a moderated site, which means that we approve all comments before they are posted. We want to make sure the conversation here is – like our name says – professional. So, please keep comments on topic and of interest to our readership.

Though we have a moderated site, it’s our goal to present a comprehensive and objective range of issues and opinions – including your comments. It’s okay to disagree with what we post, but in doing so, please be aware of the guidelines we will use when choosing whether or not to post all comments:

Express Employment Professionals reserves the right to not post any comments or questions that are deemed to be obscene, vulgar, sexually explicit, illegal, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, libelous, invasive of someone else’s privacy, or objectionable in any way. Profanity, racial and ethnic slurs, and general rude behavior like disparaging personal remarks won’t be tolerated nor published.

Comments must be related to the subject matter of the post. We will not post your personal or business phone number, address, résumé, or job application, among other private details, in the comments section of this blog. If you would like to submit an application for a job, please use our online job application.

In addition, Movin’ On Up is not the proper forum to address customer service issues. If you have a question about your local Express office, job application, or job order, please contact your local office directly. For all other customer service concerns, please review our contact page.

Express Employment Professionals reserves the right to amend this policy at any time. It is the sole discretion of Express Employment Professionals what content we choose to post or remove at any time.

Reader Surveys The Job Search

Generations and the Job Search: Who’s Having a Harder Time?

By tiffany monhollon on Wednesday, April 1, 2009

When it comes to the job market, there’s been a lot of talk about how grim things are for two different spectrums of the labor pool. Recent reports show that both new grads and mature workers are likely to have a hard time finding work right now.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that over 1 million people 55 and older are unemployed and looking for work. Many mature workers are delaying retirement due to the recession. The AARP Public Policy Institute reports that the ones who are looking for jobs will typically search about a third longer than those younger than 55.

But this year, things also look tough for the college crowd. In fact, the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ reported that employers expect to hire 22% fewer new graduates than in 2008, and internship hiring is also down by about 21%. Experts say that in an expanding labor pool, new graduates typically have less experience than others in their industry who are now also looking for work, lengthening the job search process.

When it comes to generations in the workplace, the Baby Boomer generation and the Millennial generation have different values and views, but in the job search, experts say both generations must adapt to a quick learning curve and apply every job search tactic available to bolster their chances of landing a gig. So, we want to know what you think.

poll by twiigs.com

Have more thoughts or insights into these two generations on the job hunt? Do you fall into one of these two groups and have a story to share with us or a question to ask? Share your feedback in the comments section.