MichaelPage: 八月 2011

2011年8月19日星期五

Do a Better Job by Spring Cleaning Your Mind

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

Your mind is more like a computer than you ever knew -- fill it up with too much useless, distracting data and it works slower, according to new research that set out to explain why memory lapses occur more frequently in older people.
This is invaluable information for those older workers who are competing with younger colleagues and are worried about keeping up mentally. According to this new research from Concordia University in Montreal, older individuals have reduced learning and memory because their minds tend to be cluttered with irrelevant information when performing tasks. The findings offer new insights into why aging is associated with a decline in memory and may lead to practical solutions.
"The first step of our study was to test the working memory of a younger and older population and compare the results," says Mervin Blair, first author and a doctoral student in Concordia's Department of Psychology and a member at the Centre for Research in Human Development.
Half of the study's participants averaged 23 years of age, while the other half averaged about 67 years old. Each participant was asked to perform a working memory task, which included recalling and processing different pieces of information. "Younger adults were better than the older adults at recalling and processing information," Blair said.
The next step of the study showed that older people don't purge irrelevant information as well as younger people do. Researchers measured this by having the subjects again respond to images, but in a different way, showing whether or not they were hanging onto the information they'd been given previously. Once again, the youngsters outperformed their older counterparts.
"The older adults had poor inhibition, repeatedly responding to previously relevant images," Blair said. "Basically, older adults are less able to keep irrelevant information out of their consciousness, which then impacts on other mental abilities."
But all is not lost for older workers, according to Blair. Just like you can clean out your computer or clean off your desk, you can clean out, or "de-clutter" your mind. Focusing and reducing mental clutter may help. "Reduce clutter; if you don't, you may not get anything done," Blair advised. Here are some ways to reduce the clutter in your mind.
Reduce stress: Stress obsesses us, and tends to dominate our focus. Reduce it, and it's one less major distraction.Stay mentally active: Do workouts for your mind -- things like learning a new language, playing a new instrument and completing crossword puzzles, Sudoku or KenKen.Keep an active social life: Responding to others keeps the mental process fit and helps the brain sort out and discard irrelevant information.Exercise: Blood flow to the body and brain helps with mental fitness, and keeps one from having to focus on sickness, pain or other maladies.

Dealing With New Job Jitters: You Should Be So Lucky

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

If you're lucky enough to get a job these days, the last thing you're probably thinking about is how you'll deal with new job jitters. But the longer you've been out of the work force, the more intimidating it can be to get used to a new work environment. In a recent survey by OfficeTeam, nearly one-third of workers interviewed said acclimating to a different corporate culture and colleagues would pose the greatest challenge when re-entering the workforce after an extended absence.
Learning new technologies or protocols came next (23 percent), followed by adjusting routines or schedules (22 percent). Only 10 percent were worried about "Building my professional confidence."
"Beginning a new job can be both exciting and stressful, particularly for those who have been out of work for some time," said OfficeTeam executive director Robert Hosking. "New hires can make a smoother transition by learning as much as possible about the firm's culture before their first day. Networking actively with current or former employees and asking questions during the interview about the work environment, dress code and other policies are effective ways to gather this information."
OfficeTeam offers five tips for an easy transition back into the workplace:

Refresh your skills. Determine which software applications and other tools you will be using. To prime yourself for upcoming projects, consider taking courses on any computer programs you haven't used in a while or that are unfamiliar to you.Get back in the swing. Adjust your daily schedule a week before your start date so you're comfortable with the routine by your first day. Make the rounds. Once you've started a new job, immediately introduce yourself to those you will be working with. To break the ice, invite colleagues to join you for lunch or coffee.Watch and learn. Pay attention to how others act in the workplace. Many unwritten rules, such as how and when people communicate, can only be learned through observation. Play it cool. While it takes time to gain trust in a new environment, try to project confidence in everything you do. If you believe in yourself, others will, too.

Tag: Accounting jobs | Banking jobs | Manufacturing jobs | Life Sciences jobs | Human Resources jobs | hr jobs | marketing jobs | Procurement jobs | Supply Chain jobs | Secretarial jobs | Office Support jobs | Risk Management jobs | Chemical jobs | Process jobs | Electronic jobs | Environmental jobs | Quality jobs | Quality Assurance jobs | Compliance jobs | Training jobs | IT Management jobs | Programming jobs | Systems Administration jobs | Brand Management jobs | Product Management jobs | Market Research jobs | Commercial jobs | Contract jobs | Planning jobs | Construction Management jobs | Real Estate jobs | Pharmaceutical jobs |

Dana Myers Brings Sexy Back: I Love My Job at Booty Parlor [Video]

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

Dana B. Myers loves her job because not only is she wildly successful, but also she's helping others with a very important part of their lives. Her classy, upscale "Booty Parlor" boudoir products take the sleaze and shame out of sexy, and go a long way toward super-charging the most intimate relationships.
"We think of it as a sexy beauty and lifestyle brand," said Myers in an exclusive interview with AOL on This Week in Careers. She started her business, which sells fun and frolicsome beauty products both online and in stores like Victoria's Secret, because she saw a need. She says that most people shunned those nasty looking triple X stores with the shag carpet and the creepy employees. "They didn't want an experience out of the porn world," she said. "They wanted to feel more like they were shopping for beauty products at Nordstrom."
Myers was on a mission. "I wanted to bring sexy out of that dark corner, to say that this is a healthy, positive part of your life," she says relating it to yoga. "Thirty years ago, yoga was this weird, hippie trend," she says. "But now it's mainstream, and integrated into many women's lifestyles." What woman doesn't own a pair of yoga pants?

The birth of the Booty Parlor So together with her husband, Myers created the Booty Parlor, and branded it with distinctive, classy, black- and pink-satin packaging. No leopard skin or marabou boas allowed; lingerie is black, pink, satin, mesh and lace. Her beauty products -- lipsticks, lotions, potions, oils and powders -- are all made of natural, healthy products like herbs, ginkgo biloba, ginger, honey, caviar extract, jojoba, gogi berry, olive and coconut oil.
Just how successful is Booty Parlor? It's gone worldwide, and sold in stores large and small all over the country, as well as in upscale hotels such as the Wynn in Las Vegas -- which keeps their stores and rooms stocked with Booty Parlor products. Myers just published a successful book called 'Mojo Makeover: Four Weeks to a Sexier You,' with a pink and black cover, of course, and -- you knew this was coming -- a reality series in the making. It will not only document women getting mojo makeovers and lighting up their love lives, but it will chronicle the life of Myers as a wife, mother and businesswoman as well.
You wouldn't think of the proprietor of the Booty Parlor as the mother of a 6-month old baby, with a master's degree, but there you have it. Myers was born in a Chicago suburb, studied piano performance and the music business at DePaul University, was both a classical pianist and a rock 'n' roller for several years, before getting her master's in business and entertainment at NYU. She's worked in all aspects of the music industry, and even did a stint as a makeup artist. All this helped her get to where she is now.

Finding your own mojo online These days, with the job market and the economy so uncertain, the thought of starting your own business online sounds quite appealing. Myers is very forthcoming with advice on how to do that successfully. "Assess the market," she advises. "Try to figure out what is being done, what isn't being done, and where is there some room?"
Once you've identified a need, she recommends "finding a product that you feel passionate about. Stay true to that. For example, we see our business as providing a solution. Ask yourself what's the need that you're filling?"

WATCH:
The next step would be creating strong branding and messaging. "Have a story to tell," she suggests. "Everyone loves a good story." A few other essentials? A business partner you can trust, and, most important of all, a workable revenue model.
"So many people say, 'I'm going to start a blog and make money off that,'" she says, adding that they don't realize that they have to have hundreds of thousands of people coming to their site on a daily basis in order to make money from advertising. Selling a uniquely branded product that fills a need or a niche is a far better idea, she emphasizes.
Myers finds gratification -- and profit -- in helping women find beauty in being sexy. "When that part of your life is working well, everything is better. You're happier, you feel desired, you feel confident, [and] you're accepting your body. You're going to feel better at work, in your relationships and in life in general." What's not to love about a job that helps people with that?

Tag: Accounting jobs | Banking jobs | Manufacturing jobs | Life Sciences jobs | Human Resources jobs | hr jobs | marketing jobs | Procurement jobs | Supply Chain jobs | Secretarial jobs | Office Support jobs | Risk Management jobs | Chemical jobs | Process jobs | Electronic jobs | Environmental jobs | Quality jobs | Quality Assurance jobs | Compliance jobs | Training jobs | IT Management jobs | Programming jobs | Systems Administration jobs | Brand Management jobs | Product Management jobs | Market Research jobs | Commercial jobs | Contract jobs | Planning jobs | Construction Management jobs | Real Estate jobs | Pharmaceutical jobs |

Culture Barrier May Affect Surgeon Job Satisfaction

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

A new study suggests that surgeons who treat a high proportion of Hispanic patients tend to be less happy with their jobs than their peers -- a difference, researchers say, that may have much to do with language and cultural barriers.
They also say the findings underscore a need for more minorities in the field of surgery.
The study, reported in the Annals of Surgery, analyzed data for 762 U.S. surgeons surveyed in 2008 on the factors that influenced their job satisfaction.
Overall, the No. 1 determinant was time spent with patients, said senior researcher Satish P. Deshpande, of Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.
That is, the more time surgeons felt they had to talk with patients, the more satisfied they were with their careers. They were also happier if they felt they delivered a high quality of care, or had relatively little anxiety over malpractice suits -- but those factors were closely related to how much time the surgeons had to spend with their patients.
On the flip side, surgeons tended to be less satisfied with their job when they treated a high proportion of Hispanic patients. There was no similar pattern seen when it came to black or Asian patients.
However, Deshpande cautioned, "you need to be careful interpreting that finding."
One possibility is that surgeons with a high proportion of Hispanic patients also have a high number of uninsured patients, making money an issue.
Because the researchers were analyzing answers to a past survey, they could not ask the respondents for more detail.
But Deshpande pointed out that in the survey results, job satisfaction was generally high among surgeons who said they had access to translation services for patients who spoke a different language.
"So we think most of it has to do with language and cultural issues," Deshpande said.
An implication, he said, is that having more translation services and an ethnically diverse hospital staff would be helpful.
The findings also underline a need for more minority surgeons, according to Deshpande -- who noted that studies have shown that African-American and Hispanic patients often prefer a doctor of their own ethnicity because they feel communication is easier.
"That's something that really needs to be looked at," Deshpande said. "We do need more minorities (in surgical specialties), and more women as well."
The latest U.S. census figures show the nation's Hispanic population grew 43 percent between 2000 and 2010, and remains the fastest growing minority.
In this study, only 6 percent of surgeons were Hispanic or African-American, while only 9 percent were women.
And in general, Deshpande said, there are few women and minorities on medical school faculties, limiting the number of role models for minority students.
Encouraging more minorities to become surgeons may be especially important at a time when there's a shortage of surgeons in general, according to Deshpande.
The study's original objective was to understand factors influencing job satisfaction and burnout, so that more surgeons can be recruited and retained.
"There's a limited number of surgeons, and a growing demand for them," he said, adding that there are about 80 million aging Baby Boomers who will put a growing strain on surgical services nationwide.
Since surgical training takes 8 to 12 years, any surgeon shortage would not be remedied quickly.
"You're not going to turn on the tap and suddenly have more surgeons," Deshpande said. "So we need to be thinking about this now."
There have been some efforts to boost the number of minorities in the field of surgery. A study last year found that a program called the Diverse Surgeons Initiative, which helps young minority surgeons advance their surgical skills, seemed to help some get into academic positions.
Of 42 who had completed all their training as of 2009, 57 percent were on faculty in departments of surgery, a higher proportion than the national average of fifth-year residents.
SOURCE: bit.ly/eG7k0M Annals of Surgery, online March 29, 2011.

Tag: Accounting jobs | Banking jobs | Manufacturing jobs | Life Sciences jobs | Human Resources jobs | hr jobs | marketing jobs | Procurement jobs | Supply Chain jobs | Secretarial jobs | Office Support jobs | Risk Management jobs | Chemical jobs | Process jobs | Electronic jobs | Environmental jobs | Quality jobs | Quality Assurance jobs | Compliance jobs | Training jobs | IT Management jobs | Programming jobs | Systems Administration jobs | Brand Management jobs | Product Management jobs | Market Research jobs | Commercial jobs | Contract jobs | Planning jobs | Construction Management jobs | Real Estate jobs | Pharmaceutical jobs |

Do Computers Stress You Out?

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

While technology changes at light speed, people change in steps. In a digital world, we're finding it more and more difficult just to keep up -- much less to actually use change to our advantage. Today, change is so intense, it could more accurately be described as "disruption."
The question is, are there actual techniques that can help us manage the tsunami of change that is overwhelming our lives? I believe the answer is "yes," and in my new book 'Jolt! Get the Jump on a World That's Constantly Changing,' I outline 25 "jolts" that will shake up our thinking and help us master the art of change. If you want to make change work for you, here are a few places to start.

Spend time unplugged If you really want to unplug, spend at least some time physically away from your cell phone. Remarkable numbers of people sleep with their cell phone on the nightstand, and it's causing a huge disruption in sleep patterns. Plus, a growing number of people check their e-mail before bed and it's the first thing they do waking up. Whether working out, studying, being intimate, or sleeping, take some time each day and put your digital device in another room!

Change your thinking about e-mail If it's critical, use the phone. Don't feel that you HAVE to respond to e-mail right away. If it's a real emergency, people will call. Get off the e-mail treadmill, take a deep breath, and learn to respond when you actually have the time.

Learn the power of focus In a blogging, e-mail, Facebook, and Twitter world, everyone has some form of A.D.D. Recent research has indicated that all "multi-tasking" does is help you do many things poorly. Real accomplishment takes focus -- the ability to keep out the conflicting voices, surrounding noise, and critics, and keep your mind zeroed in on the task at hand.
The bottom line? The most valuable commodity of the 21st century will be "undivided attention." Want to give a real gift to your spouse, co-workers, or friends? Give them your undivided attention. It's getting more and more difficult to find.

You can get more advice from Phil at his blog, JoltYourLife.com.

Tag: Accounting jobs | Banking jobs | Manufacturing jobs | Life Sciences jobs | Human Resources jobs | hr jobs | marketing jobs | Procurement jobs | Supply Chain jobs | Secretarial jobs | Office Support jobs | Risk Management jobs | Chemical jobs | Process jobs | Electronic jobs | Environmental jobs | Quality jobs | Quality Assurance jobs | Compliance jobs | Training jobs | IT Management jobs | Programming jobs | Systems Administration jobs | Brand Management jobs | Product Management jobs | Market Research jobs | Commercial jobs | Contract jobs | Planning jobs | Construction Management jobs | Real Estate jobs | Pharmaceutical jobs |

Latest Hair Trend Doesn't Fly in the Workplace

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

Who would have thought an aging male rock star would start a fashion trend that is literally making feathers fly for women in the workplace? It seems that American Idol judge and Aerosmith front man Steven Tyler's penchant for colored rooster tail hair extensions has caught on worldwide, and some offices are not taking the feathers lightly.
Some women have been asked to remove the feathery fashion accessories on the spot, and others have been sent home and asked not to come back until the feathers are removed. That's a bitter pill to swallow if you've just had the extensions put in at a local salon, at a price ranging from $35 to $75.
"Hair feathers may be cool at the club, but they may not 'fly' with the boss," says Dallas beauty expert and author Victoria Snee. "It's just not a professional look for the cubical crowd."
That advice applies to more conservative businesses, like accounting firms and law offices, especially when the feather-wearer is about to appear in court or meet with conservative clients. Other, more creative businesses, such as trendy retail boutiques, hair salons, advertising agencies and design firms, encourage their employees to let their freak feathers fly.

When It's Good to Be a Feather Head Paul Bazell, a consultant with the human resources firm Aviant, says that when in doubt, you can always ask your supervisor or someone in the HR department. He advises against having them put in on a whim.
"It's just a trend. It's all the rage right now, but like a lot of fashion statements, it will come and go. It's certainly not something to lose your job over, especially in this day and age, when good jobs are not exactly growing on trees."
He notes that the fad wasn't even in existence when most employee handbooks were written, so the style is not likely to be officially covered, and a complete judgment call on the part of the employer.
"Many policies mention 'appropriate business attire,'" Bazell notes. "You have to use a degree of common sense asking yourself, 'What does appropriate business attire mean here?'
"If you work in a more button-down environment, feathers in your hair could detract from your credibility."
And it could enhance your credibility in other environments. A woman in Texas with a sales position reported that her female boss admired her feathery extensions, and asked her where she got them, so that she might get a some as well.
One professional group that embraces the hair-feather fad wholeheartedly (in addition to beauty salons) involves those who work producing fishing lures. These craftsmen are the main suppliers of the dyed rooster tail feathers used in the popular hair extensions -- they collect and color them for use on their flies and lures. They're in great demand now, and business is booming for the best and most prolific producers.

Button Down by Day, Feathered Up at Night Sultra, an upscale hair-care products company, has found a way to allow women to be conservative professionals by day and feathered fashionistas by night and on weekends. They're producing colored feather extensions that can easily be snapped in and out at home, without the help of a hair stylist.
"We see them as more of an accessory, like jewelry," says Mia Jenner, Sultra co-founder and VP of marketing. Her company is producing several varieties, some that are more discreet and blend in with people's own hair color, and others, like the turquoise "Boho Breeze" and "Pink Passion," that are a little more flirty and sure to stand out. They come four feather extensions to a clip, and sell for $25 at stores such as Sephora.
"Before we started selling them, I went and had some put on in a salon as part of my research. While they were perfectly appropriate for my business, I found that after a few weeks, I just got tired of wearing them. We thought the feathers people could put in and take out on their own would be more practical."
The removable feathers worked well for one California journalist, who wore them to dinner and parties over the weekend, but removed them on Monday for an interview with a very conservative potential employer. "When in doubt, I take them out," she laughs.
And then there's the question of whether or not they're age appropriate. Tyler, a 63-year-old rocker, may be able to pull them off, but how much authority would you give to your 63-year-old-boss who waltzed into work one day with a turquoise feather extension dangling from her head?
"Nowadays there's such a blurry line between what's age appropriate and what's not," laughs Jenner. "I say a little Boho Breeze would look great on a woman with gray hair -- she can always take it out if she's making a presentation at a board meeting."

Tag: Engineering jobs| Healthcare jobs| IT jobs| legal jobs| oil & gas jobs| Oil jobs| Gas jobs| Property jobs| Construction jobs| Sales jobs| Accountant| Finance Manager| Finance Director| Electrical jobs| Mechanical jobs| Clinical Trial jobs| Recruitment jobs| Project Management jobs| Marketing Manager| Marketing Director| Logistic jobs| Sales Manager| sales director| resume| interview tips| recruitment agencies| recruitment agency| jobs| cover letter| salary|

Life a Mess? Most People Blame Their Jobs First

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

If you have a family and a job, chances are there is some degree of conflict between the two. So which is more responsible for the friction, the job or the family? Most Americans blame their job first, family second and themselves last, according to a recent study.
The study, conducted by Elizabeth M. Poposki, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology at the School of Science at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, examined individual incidents of work-family conflict and tracked how blame for this conflict is attributed.
Sixty-four percent of those surveyed blamed work, not family, for their feelings of conflict. Twenty-two percent blamed only their family. Five percent blamed external factors other than work or family, and only 6 percent placed all the blame on themselves. Only 3 percent of those surveyed divided the blame evenly between both work and family. Interestingly enough, there were no gender differences in how blame was assigned.
Poposki also found that those who attribute conflict to external sources rather than blaming the conflict on themselves were more likely to experience anger and frustration following the conflict. In other words, if you blame someone or something other than yourself, you get more riled up about the situation. You go a little easier on yourself and others when you take the responsibility on your own shoulders.
And the angrier you are, the more likely you are to engage in negative workplace behavior such as employee theft, according to Poposki. Some people reason that "this job is wreaking havoc with my family, so the company owes me a little something extra."
The study, called "The Blame Game: Exploring the Nature and Correlates of Attributions Following Work-Family Conflict," goes into quite a bit of depth in regards to the results of placing blame, at home or at work. "This understanding may be important to future studies of the negative emotional reactions to work-family conflict including anger, frustration, shame and guilt," says Poposki.
As certain politicians have recently demonstrated, shame and guilt at home can't help but cross over into the workplace, and vice versa. Owning up to personal responsibility for the conflict helps in both spheres.

Tag: Engineering jobs| Healthcare jobs| IT jobs| legal jobs| oil & gas jobs| Oil jobs| Gas jobs| Property jobs| Construction jobs| Sales jobs| Accountant| Finance Manager| Finance Director| Electrical jobs| Mechanical jobs| Clinical Trial jobs| Recruitment jobs| Project Management jobs| Marketing Manager| Marketing Director| Logistic jobs| Sales Manager| sales director| resume| interview tips| recruitment agencies| recruitment agency| jobs| cover letter| salary|

June Numbers Tell Job Seekers to Get New Skills

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

By Jeremy Greenfield, Special to AOL Jobs
Just when hope beckoned from the job market, anemic growth in June suggested job seekers may have a more difficult time finding work as the U.S. economy added only 18,000 jobs and unemployment rose to 9.2%.
Economists had predicted that as many as 100,000 more Americans would be working in June. The private sector added 57,000 jobs while government agencies slashed employment, according the the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Headwinds that were slowing job growth – like the Japan earthquake, unusual Spring storms and high oil prices – were expected to abate somewhat in June, spurring growth.
"This is a stubborn job recovery. It was predicted to be a stubborn job recovery. And it will continue to be a stubborn recovery," said Jeff Joerres, CEO of ManpowerGroup, the global recruitment and staffing firm. "If you're in the hunt for a job, we know it's a difficult job market, and it's going to remain a difficult job market."
There is some good news. After a first half of 2011 that saw the private sector add only 945,000 jobs -- not enough to move the unemployment rate down -- a new survey says that employers across the country will hire more in the second half of the year.
According to a survey of 2,662 U.S. hiring managers by CareerBuilder.com, 47% of companies plan to hire this year, up from 41% last year. The survey also indicated that more companies will be growing headcount than will be cutting staff.
Even a strong second half of 2011 may not alleviate the pain for many who are unemployed.
"No matter how low we get the unemployment rate, even if we crack 8% right around the [Presidential] election, it's still not going to be low enough to feel good for the overwhelming majority of people on Main Street," said Diane Swonk, chief economist and senior managing director at Mesirow Financial, a Chicago-based financial services firm. Still spooked by the credit crisis, companies are hoarding cash and aren't convinced that economy is growing strongly enough to justify permanent hires.
Nonetheless, there are pockets of activity where job seekers should focus their attention, according to Swonk. Retail sales, some areas of manufacturing, communications and health care are just a few, she said, and those who may have some applicable skills in those areas should pursue careers there.
"Skills are transferable. Re-think where you are and how can you transfer your skills into another sector. If you can sell one thing you can sell another," she said.
For those who may need to update their skill-set, Swonk recommends looking into community colleges and training programs. "In today's world having that one little extra skill, that one class on project management, whatever that may be, that can be the deciding factor in today's labor market," said Joerres.
In addition to acquiring new skills, those who have been unemployed for a year or more should consider changing careers or even taking lower-paying jobs to avoid what Joerres calls "the long-term unemployment trap."
"The skills the companies require are changing so fast that if you're out of the job market for 18 months or two years, your skills have become antiquated in the eyes of the employer," said Joerres. "You might be waiting for the better fit or the pay you used to have, but you're greatly reducing your chances by staying out of the game."
Truck drivers and lower-level healthcare workers are in demand, Swonk points out, and those jobs, unlike some jobs in manufacturing and technology, aren't going away and can't be outsourced.
"You might be able to get someone abroad to look at your x-ray, but you'll still need someone here to help you out of your wheel chair," she said.

Tag: Engineering jobs| Healthcare jobs| IT jobs| legal jobs| oil & gas jobs| Oil jobs| Gas jobs| Property jobs| Construction jobs| Sales jobs| Accountant| Finance Manager| Finance Director| Electrical jobs| Mechanical jobs| Clinical Trial jobs| Recruitment jobs| Project Management jobs| Marketing Manager| Marketing Director| Logistic jobs| Sales Manager| sales director| resume| interview tips| recruitment agencies| recruitment agency| jobs| cover letter| salary|

Kids Fined $500 for Unpermitted Lemonade Stand (Video)

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

Every summer thousands of kids across the U.S. earn a little pocket change and learn a bit about business by setting up lemonade stands in their front yards. They may cause traffic to slow down a touch, but most of them don't do any real damage. That's why some Montgomery County, Md., residents are so outraged over county officials fining the parents of some industrious local kids for failing to get a vendors license for their lemonade stand.
It seems the kids had set up shop on private property to sell to the crowds heading to the U.S. Open golf tournament at a nearby country club. It's common practice in the area for homeowners to sell parking spaces in their yards for the golf tournament, some of them making as much as $60 per day.
But these kids weren't doing it for their own benefit. Their handmade signs clearly stated that they were raising money for charity -- pediatric cancer, to be exact.
A county inspector came by earlier in the day and warned them to shut their stand down. But the kids didn't take him seriously. What harm could a lemonade stand possibly do? The inspector came back later with a letter for their parents, slapping them with a $500 fine.
"Cute little kids making five or ten dollars is a little bit different than making hundreds. You've got coolers and coolers here," the inspector told mother Carrie Marriott, in front of a WUSA TV reporter. He was unswayed by her argument that they were raising money for charity.
Jennifer Hughes, the director of permitting for the county, told WUSA that it's technically illegal to run even the smallest lemonade stand in the county, but inspectors usually don't fine them. She said this one was unusually large.
"The message to kids is that there's no American Dream," said Marriott.

Tag: Engineering jobs| Healthcare jobs| IT jobs| legal jobs| oil & gas jobs| Oil jobs| Gas jobs| Property jobs| Construction jobs| Sales jobs| Accountant| Finance Manager| Finance Director| Electrical jobs| Mechanical jobs| Clinical Trial jobs| Recruitment jobs| Project Management jobs| Marketing Manager| Marketing Director| Logistic jobs| Sales Manager| sales director| resume| interview tips| recruitment agencies| recruitment agency| jobs| cover letter| salary|

Labor Board Case Could Cost Iowa Jobs, Romney Says

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

By Thomas Beaumont
NEW YORK -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney accused the Obama administration on Monday of jeopardizing the very manufacturing jobs the Democratic president plans to promote when he visits an aluminum plant in Iowa.
Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, said a lawsuit filed by the National Labor Relations Board against Boeing could stifle jobs at Alcoa in Iowa, which provides materials for the airline manufacturer's 787 Dreamliner.
"This Boeing decision in South Carolina sent shockwaves across the nation and, if allowed to stand, will result in American job losses and I think you can be sure there will be some losses in Iowa as well as other states," Romney said in an Associated Press interview.
Obama plans to visit an Alcoa plant in Bettendorf, Iowa, on Tuesday to tout jobs that the manufacturer has added in recent months. Company officials say Alcoa has added 240 full-time positions since December, and has plans to fill roughly 60 more by August.
Alcoa spokesman Mike Belwood said the labor board's battle with Boeing over the South Carolina plant will not have an impact on employment at Alcoa's eastern Iowa plants, which produce aluminum lithium plate used to make structural components of the Dreamliner.
Romney has used the lawsuit by the board, which he described as "stacked with labor stooges," to suggest that Obama's actions as president have hindered the nation's economic recovery.
The National Labor Relations Board is appointed by the president. The Obama administration said the board's decision is an independent enforcement action in which the White House played no role.
"The manufacturing sector has led the economic recovery under the president's leadership," Obama spokeswoman Amy Brundage said. "Alcoa particularly has been a leader in manufacturing innovation and the president will highlight the success of this American company and its workers at the Bettendorf plant."
The labor board alleges that Boeing built a second Dreamliner plant in South Carolina to retaliate against union workers in Washington for striking and to discourage future strikes. It is illegal for companies to retaliate against workers for exercising their right to strike. South Carolina has less stringent union laws than Washington, where Boeing's other Dreamliner plant is located.
Romney, in his second bid for the GOP presidential nomination, is blaming Obama for the sluggish economy and touting himself as the best able to take on Obama.
He said a new Iowa Poll showing him leading narrowly with Republicans in Iowa, where the 2012 presidential caucuses are expected to begin the nominating cycle, is encouraging. But he reiterated his plan to campaign for the potentially long, national fight for the nomination, rather than disproportionately on Iowa, where he spent $10 million on a second-place finish in the 2008 caucuses.
"I am going to be running my campaign against the president," Romney said. "That's going to be my focus."
The poll conducted last week for The Des Moines Register showed Romney with support from 23 percent of likely Iowa Republican caucus-goers, followed closely by Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, who had 22 percent. Bachmann, a three-term congresswoman closely identified with tea party supporters, formally kicked off her campaign Monday in Waterloo, Iowa. Other candidates were in the low double digits and single digits.
Romney was in New Hampshire on Monday and planned to headline an evening campaign fundraiser in New York.
Second-quarter campaign fundraising ends Thursday. Romney declined to say how much he planned to report raising.
"I think we have had strong financial support from people across the country and I'm very pleased with the outpouring of volunteers and contributors," Romney said.

Tag: Engineering jobs| Healthcare jobs| IT jobs| legal jobs| oil & gas jobs| Oil jobs| Gas jobs| Property jobs| Construction jobs| Sales jobs| Accountant| Finance Manager| Finance Director| Electrical jobs| Mechanical jobs| Clinical Trial jobs| Recruitment jobs| Project Management jobs| Marketing Manager| Marketing Director| Logistic jobs| Sales Manager| sales director| resume| interview tips| recruitment agencies| recruitment agency| jobs| cover letter| salary|

2011年8月15日星期一

California: Home of the Haves and Have-Nots

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

If the weather and the glamor of California seem to be calling you, you might want to think twice before you load up the truck and move to Beverly. A new study shows that there's a huge disparity between the haves and have-nots in the Golden State.
While some Californians are enjoying levels of well-being and access to opportunity, which the nation as a whole will not reach until the 2060s, others are experiencing health care, education, and earnings levels that characterized the U.S. as a whole, in the 1960s. Nearly a century of human progress separates the best-off and the worst-off areas in the state.
The American Human Development Project recently released A Portrait of California, which explores well-being and access to opportunity across the Golden State. The findings in work/income differentials are staggering. They include:

Silicon Valley Shangri-La, comprises the top 1 percent of the population in terms of well-being levels. These extremely well-educated high-tech entrepreneurs and professionals are fueling, and accruing the benefits of, innovation. Residents of this area have highly developed capabilities, expanding their freedom to pursue goals that matter to them. (Despite its overall high score, however, it is important to note that pockets of poverty exist within Silicon Valley.) One-in-three members of this region is foreign-born.Metro-Coastal Enclave California, this group makes up 18 percent of the state's population. They are located in upscale urban and suburban neighborhoods, chiefly along the coast. Residents of these areas are largely affluent, credentialed and resilient workers, enjoying comparative financial comfort and securityMain Street California, this majority-minority group of Californians experience longer lives, higher levels of educational attainment, and higher earnings than the typical American. Yet these suburban and ex-urban Californians, representing 38 percent of the population, have an increasingly tenuous grip on middle-class life.Struggling California, makes up 38 percent of the population across the state, from the suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas of the Central Valley to parts of major metro areas and the Inland Empire to swaths of Northern California. Struggling Californians work hard but find it nearly impossible to gain a foothold on security.The Forsaken Five Percent of Californians are residents bypassed by the digital economy and left behind in impoverished L.A. neighborhoods as well as in rural and urban areas in the San Joaquin Valley. These Californians, of whom one-third are foreign-born, can expect to live nine fewer years than those in Shangri-La and face an extremely constrained range of opportunities and choices.

Tag

Quality Assurance jobs

Systems Administration jobs

Brand Management jobs

Product Management jobs

Construction Management jobs

Real Estate jobs

Pharmaceutical jobs

Cab Driver Refuses Passenger, Then Drags Him Down the Street

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

Talk about over-reaction! A cab driver in Melbourne, Australia recently refused to let a passenger in his cab because he said the intended destination was too close. He then sped off, dragging the would-be passenger, whose arm got caught in the cab, along with him.
The would-be passenger, cartoonist and stand-up comedian, Jason Chatfield, made a comment about it being easier to get an ambulance than a taxi. All this before he was rushed to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, for a full night of neurological tests and X-rays that showed a concussion and lacerations on his face, shoulder, hip, elbows and wrist.
It seems Chatfield and his girlfriend had just enjoyed a show and dinner when he called to ask a taxi come and pick them up very early Sunday morning. When a cab pulled up, Chatfield thought it was the one he'd booked.
"He stopped and I put my head and my arm in the window, told him my name was Chatfield and he sort of grunted and asked where we were going. When I said it was only to East Melbourne, he threw his hand up, said: 'No, too close', and just floored it," Chatfield told the Australia's News.Com.au.
Apparently something Chatfield was wearing, maybe his watch, caught in the window, but the driver wouldn't slow down to free him. Chatfield was able to run and keep up with the cab for about 10-20 meters before whatever it was came loose, and launched him into the pavement. His hip, shoulder and head ground into the street as the taxi sped off.
The taxi driver has yet to be caught. So far, no one has able to give an accurate description of the driver or a license plate number. Looks like he'll be getting away with a "drag and run."

Tag: Accounting jobs | Banking jobs | Manufacturing jobs | Life Sciences jobs | Human Resources jobs | hr jobs | marketing jobs | Procurement jobs | Supply Chain jobs | Secretarial jobs | Office Support jobs | Risk Management jobs | Chemical jobs | Process jobs | Electronic jobs | Environmental jobs | Quality jobs | Quality Assurance jobs | Compliance jobs | Training jobs | IT Management jobs | Programming jobs | Systems Administration jobs | Brand Management jobs | Product Management jobs | Market Research jobs | Commercial jobs | Contract jobs | Planning jobs | Construction Management jobs | Real Estate jobs | Pharmaceutical jobs |

Bus Driver Can't Get Fired for Showing Up to Work Drunk

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

This is enough to make you want to sniff your bus driver's breath before you pay your fare. A city bus driver in Albuquerque, New Mexico has been on paid leave for five months and will probably get his job back soon, even though he obviously showed up to work drunk back in November. This debacle is brought to you by an improper substance abuse test and union contract conditions.
The city transportation department seems to have its hands tied, but reiterates that the driver was never allowed behind the wheel when he came to work showing signs of inebriation. A savvy supervisor noticed that he was acting suspiciously, and sent him for a breathalyzer test, which showed he was definitely under the influence. He was immediately sent home.
That's when union officials got involved. They said that not only was the breathalyzer test administered improperly by an independent clinic, but that the driver's union contract states that he can keep his job after a first time offense if he gets counseling.
Union spokesman Rocky Gutierrez says "We believe in public safety, number one, but we also believe in the policies and procedures of the City of Albuquerque, that they should be followed, especially when it comes to the due process of employees."
The city wants to fire the bus driver, but the union won't allow it. It's taking quite some time to sort the issue out, and in the meantime, the driver is on paid leave. He hasn't been disciplined yet but could get up to 20 days suspension with mandatory counseling.
City officials say they hope to establish a no tolerance policy the next time they negotiate a contract with the union.

Tag: Accounting jobs | Banking jobs | Manufacturing jobs | Life Sciences jobs | Human Resources jobs | hr jobs | marketing jobs | Procurement jobs | Supply Chain jobs | Secretarial jobs | Office Support jobs | Risk Management jobs | Chemical jobs | Process jobs | Electronic jobs | Environmental jobs | Quality jobs | Quality Assurance jobs | Compliance jobs | Training jobs | IT Management jobs | Programming jobs | Systems Administration jobs | Brand Management jobs | Product Management jobs | Market Research jobs | Commercial jobs | Contract jobs | Planning jobs | Construction Management jobs | Real Estate jobs | Pharmaceutical jobs |

Bounty-Collecting Angler Caught in Lie

http://www.michaelpage.com.sg

订阅：评论 (Atom)