Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Resume Mistakes and Fixes
If you're job-hunting today, you know that employers are looking for sharp, self-motivated people. Paradoxically, just about the worst way to convey your talent and motivation is to say in your resume or cover letter, "I'm self-motivated." Anyone can say that! The phrase falls flat. You can't afford to let generic language sink your resume like a boat anchor.
Resume cliches like "self-motivated individual" and "results-oriented professional" are out of date in 2010. You can do a better job of letting hiring managers know how you solve problems on-the-fly or leap over tall buildings in a single bound.
Here are ten of the deadliest resume phrases in use ("massive overuse" would be more accurate) and replacements for each one. You'll rewrite the replacement phrases to reflect your own accomplishments--and that's the key! We can't expect a timeworn piece of resume boilerplate to stand in for our own pithy, personal examples.
Kill this: Results-oriented professional
Replace with your own version of this: I love to solve thorny supply-chain problems
Kill this: Excellent team player
Replace with your own version of this: At Acme Dynamite, I partnered with Engineering to cut our product cost in half
Kill this: Bottom-line orientation
Replace with your own version of this: My accounting-process overhaul saved the company $10M in its first year
Kill this: Superior communication skills
Replace with your own version of this: I led a two-day offsite that yielded our 2010 product lineup and a $40K cost savings
Kill this: Possess organizational skills
Replace with your own version of this: Reduced customer-complaint resolution time from three weeks to one by revamping the process
Kill this: Savvy business professional
Replace with your own version of this: I'm a PR manager who's gotten his employers covered by Yahoo! and Time magazine
Kill this: Strong work ethic
Replace with your own version of this: I taught myself HTML over a weekend in order to grab a marketing opportunity
Kill this: Meets or exceeds expectations
Replace with your own version of this: Invited to join our executive staff at a strategy summit during my first year at the company
Kill this: Strong presentation skills
Replace with your own version of this: Was recruited to join Acme Dynamite after my boss heard me speak at a conference
Kill this: Seeking a challenging opportunity
Replace with your own version of this: I'm looking for a midsize manufacturer primed to grow its business in the Pacific Rim
Get rid of your boring and generic resume today, and replace it with concrete, visual stories that bring your power to life. You can't afford to send out another lifeless, sounds-like-everyone-else resume. The experts at www.Jobcoachus.com will optimize a resume for you - call us today 857-636-0587
Resume cliches like "self-motivated individual" and "results-oriented professional" are out of date in 2010. You can do a better job of letting hiring managers know how you solve problems on-the-fly or leap over tall buildings in a single bound.
Here are ten of the deadliest resume phrases in use ("massive overuse" would be more accurate) and replacements for each one. You'll rewrite the replacement phrases to reflect your own accomplishments--and that's the key! We can't expect a timeworn piece of resume boilerplate to stand in for our own pithy, personal examples.
Kill this: Results-oriented professional
Replace with your own version of this: I love to solve thorny supply-chain problems
Kill this: Excellent team player
Replace with your own version of this: At Acme Dynamite, I partnered with Engineering to cut our product cost in half
Kill this: Bottom-line orientation
Replace with your own version of this: My accounting-process overhaul saved the company $10M in its first year
Kill this: Superior communication skills
Replace with your own version of this: I led a two-day offsite that yielded our 2010 product lineup and a $40K cost savings
Kill this: Possess organizational skills
Replace with your own version of this: Reduced customer-complaint resolution time from three weeks to one by revamping the process
Kill this: Savvy business professional
Replace with your own version of this: I'm a PR manager who's gotten his employers covered by Yahoo! and Time magazine
Kill this: Strong work ethic
Replace with your own version of this: I taught myself HTML over a weekend in order to grab a marketing opportunity
Kill this: Meets or exceeds expectations
Replace with your own version of this: Invited to join our executive staff at a strategy summit during my first year at the company
Kill this: Strong presentation skills
Replace with your own version of this: Was recruited to join Acme Dynamite after my boss heard me speak at a conference
Kill this: Seeking a challenging opportunity
Replace with your own version of this: I'm looking for a midsize manufacturer primed to grow its business in the Pacific Rim
Get rid of your boring and generic resume today, and replace it with concrete, visual stories that bring your power to life. You can't afford to send out another lifeless, sounds-like-everyone-else resume. The experts at www.Jobcoachus.com will optimize a resume for you - call us today 857-636-0587
Friday, April 9, 2010
Don't Lie on your Resume...Make the truth Better
Almost all career experts advise job seekers to customize their resumes to individual jobs they apply for. So where's the line between self-promotion and falsehood? Some experts say it can be hard to define.
The difference between self-promotion and a damaging lie varies by industry and profession. For instance, financial executives are subject to more-intense scrutiny than many people going into entry-level positions that don't involve money.
But at any point in your career, stretching the truth is risky--especially on official job applications. Brad Karsh, president and founder of JobBound, doesn't see a gray area at all: "Any uncovered fib is liable to severely damage your reputation in the workplace."
Just the facts
According to Forbes.com, some of the most common resume lies are about education, employment dates, job titles, and technical skills. And these are the same resume areas that, if you fudge them, can cause problems--the Internet has made it much easier to verify a person's claims about education, for instance.
And Nason notes that firms like his are sleuthing far beyond a candidate's given references to corroborate his or her claims--for instance, finding and contacting the candidate's former colleagues via LinkedIn.
Career expert Liz Ryan says, "People think that they can make up and embellish details about companies that have been sold or gone out of business. But LinkedIn, Facebook, and our wide-ranging networks will put a quick stop to most efforts to change history in our favor."
Truth or consequences
And even if false credentials get you the job, those untruths may come back to haunt you.
"You're subject to immediate dismissal if it turns out you misrepresented something," says Nason.
If your company is acquired, for instance, the acquirer's HR department may perform an audit of its new employees. Or your background may be checked when you apply for a promotion. Former Notre Dame football coach George O'Leary and celebrity chef Robert Irvine are just two of the people who've made news in recent years when false background information cost them high-profile jobs.
Keeping it real
Career experts have practical advice on how to truthfully deal with some of the problems that may cause people to lie--follow it, and you'll be able to sleep more easily at night.
1. Gaps of unemployment: Just because you weren't getting paid for something doesn't mean you weren't being productive and gaining skills. If you volunteered or worked on your own projects, say, you should speak to those things on your resume, in a cover letter, or in an interview.
2. Misrepresentative titles: "Job seekers need to lay claim to projects and results that may not have been in their formal job descriptions," says Ryan. "Here's an example. An office manager I know took on HR in her company after the HR coordinator left. The office manager's title was never changed, but she took on responsibility for payroll, benefits, and so on. She put all of that on her resume, and changed her title to 'Office Manager (with HR responsibilities).' That's a perfectly good way for her to brand herself, because she hasn't changed the title to something her old employer wouldn't recognize or support."
3. Past salaries: Ryan also has advice on how to deal with discussing a past salary you feel was too low--for more on handling salary-history questions, see her column "Passing the 'Salary History' Test."
4. Skills: If you're tempted to lie about having a technical skill, for instance, the right thing to do is clear: gain that skill by enrolling in a class (or committing to learning it on your own). Then you'll be able to truthfully explain to potential employers that you're working on getting up-to-speed in that area.
There is no need to lie when you work with JobCoachUS.com as we teach you how to sell your unique value to the employer in the right and honest way.
The difference between self-promotion and a damaging lie varies by industry and profession. For instance, financial executives are subject to more-intense scrutiny than many people going into entry-level positions that don't involve money.
But at any point in your career, stretching the truth is risky--especially on official job applications. Brad Karsh, president and founder of JobBound, doesn't see a gray area at all: "Any uncovered fib is liable to severely damage your reputation in the workplace."
Just the facts
According to Forbes.com, some of the most common resume lies are about education, employment dates, job titles, and technical skills. And these are the same resume areas that, if you fudge them, can cause problems--the Internet has made it much easier to verify a person's claims about education, for instance.
And Nason notes that firms like his are sleuthing far beyond a candidate's given references to corroborate his or her claims--for instance, finding and contacting the candidate's former colleagues via LinkedIn.
Career expert Liz Ryan says, "People think that they can make up and embellish details about companies that have been sold or gone out of business. But LinkedIn, Facebook, and our wide-ranging networks will put a quick stop to most efforts to change history in our favor."
Truth or consequences
And even if false credentials get you the job, those untruths may come back to haunt you.
"You're subject to immediate dismissal if it turns out you misrepresented something," says Nason.
If your company is acquired, for instance, the acquirer's HR department may perform an audit of its new employees. Or your background may be checked when you apply for a promotion. Former Notre Dame football coach George O'Leary and celebrity chef Robert Irvine are just two of the people who've made news in recent years when false background information cost them high-profile jobs.
Keeping it real
Career experts have practical advice on how to truthfully deal with some of the problems that may cause people to lie--follow it, and you'll be able to sleep more easily at night.
1. Gaps of unemployment: Just because you weren't getting paid for something doesn't mean you weren't being productive and gaining skills. If you volunteered or worked on your own projects, say, you should speak to those things on your resume, in a cover letter, or in an interview.
2. Misrepresentative titles: "Job seekers need to lay claim to projects and results that may not have been in their formal job descriptions," says Ryan. "Here's an example. An office manager I know took on HR in her company after the HR coordinator left. The office manager's title was never changed, but she took on responsibility for payroll, benefits, and so on. She put all of that on her resume, and changed her title to 'Office Manager (with HR responsibilities).' That's a perfectly good way for her to brand herself, because she hasn't changed the title to something her old employer wouldn't recognize or support."
3. Past salaries: Ryan also has advice on how to deal with discussing a past salary you feel was too low--for more on handling salary-history questions, see her column "Passing the 'Salary History' Test."
4. Skills: If you're tempted to lie about having a technical skill, for instance, the right thing to do is clear: gain that skill by enrolling in a class (or committing to learning it on your own). Then you'll be able to truthfully explain to potential employers that you're working on getting up-to-speed in that area.
There is no need to lie when you work with JobCoachUS.com as we teach you how to sell your unique value to the employer in the right and honest way.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Job openings rise in several sectors in February
WASHINGTON – Job openings rose in several sectors of the economy in February, including retail, manufacturing, transportation, restaurants and hotels, the Labor Department said Tuesday.
The report is consistent with other surveys showing hiring is picking up in those areas. It also echoes last week's national employment report, which showed broad job gains in March.
Total job openings, meanwhile, declined in February, the department said. That's a sign that hiring remains sluggish even though employers are starting to add workers as they gain more confidence that the recovery is taking hold.
The government's Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey illustrates the churn that takes place in the job market, even when hiring is weak. Employers posted 2.7 million job openings at the end of February. That was about 130,000 fewer than in the previous month. But it still exceeded the record lows of 2.4 million last year.
"Generally, you're moving in the right direction on job openings," said Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase. But "as today's numbers remind us, it's not a straight line up."
Retailers listed 320,000 openings, up from 255,000 the previous month, the department said. Manufacturers posted 17,000 more openings. Restaurants and hotels have added nearly 50,000 in the past two months.
The economy created 162,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department said last week. Yet the unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.7 percent as the number of people looking for work rose.
Other surveys also point to job gains. The Conference Board said last week that online job postings have risen by about 650,000 in the past five months to more than 3.9 million.
In another positive sign, a retail hiring index compiled by Kronos Inc. showed that retailers boosted hiring by 9 percent in March to the highest level since the fall of 2008. Kronos provides scheduling, payroll and other work force management software and services. The company's index covers 68 companies with 27,000 retail locations.
Transportation, warehousing and utilities companies are also adding a jobs, the Labor Department said. That sector posted 64,000 job openings in February, about two-thirds higher than a year ago. Figures for that sector aren't seasonally adjusted.
On Friday, the department said transportation and warehousing gained 7,800 jobs in March. That was the most since September 2007, before the recession began.
"That's a good sign that we're moving more freight and goods," said Brian Bethune, chief U.S. financial economist at IHS Global Insight.
Echo Global Logistics Inc., a supply management company, said Tuesday that it will open a new sales office in Dallas. The Dallas office will initially be staffed by 10-12 new hires and will add 30-40 new hires over the next year, the company said in a statement.
Automaker BMW Manufacturing Co., meanwhile, said last week that it plans to hire about 200 temporary production and logistics workers at its Greer, S.C., plant. The plant makes BMW's X5 and X6 models and will begin production of the X3 later this year.
Still, about 14.8 million people were jobless in February. That's nearly double the total from before the recession began in December 2007. It means about 5.5 people, on average, are competing for each available job. That's higher than in January, but down from the record 6.2 reached in November. Only 1.8 people, on average, were competing for each opening in December 2007.
The Labor Department's report also showed that layoffs declined sharply in February. They fell to 1.8 million from 1.95 million in January. Layoffs have fallen back to pre-recession levels, but job openings are recovering more slowly. Job openings remain about 40 percent below their pre-recession levels of about 4.5 million.
The report is consistent with other surveys showing hiring is picking up in those areas. It also echoes last week's national employment report, which showed broad job gains in March.
Total job openings, meanwhile, declined in February, the department said. That's a sign that hiring remains sluggish even though employers are starting to add workers as they gain more confidence that the recovery is taking hold.
The government's Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey illustrates the churn that takes place in the job market, even when hiring is weak. Employers posted 2.7 million job openings at the end of February. That was about 130,000 fewer than in the previous month. But it still exceeded the record lows of 2.4 million last year.
"Generally, you're moving in the right direction on job openings," said Michael Feroli, chief U.S. economist at JPMorgan Chase. But "as today's numbers remind us, it's not a straight line up."
Retailers listed 320,000 openings, up from 255,000 the previous month, the department said. Manufacturers posted 17,000 more openings. Restaurants and hotels have added nearly 50,000 in the past two months.
The economy created 162,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department said last week. Yet the unemployment rate remained stuck at 9.7 percent as the number of people looking for work rose.
Other surveys also point to job gains. The Conference Board said last week that online job postings have risen by about 650,000 in the past five months to more than 3.9 million.
In another positive sign, a retail hiring index compiled by Kronos Inc. showed that retailers boosted hiring by 9 percent in March to the highest level since the fall of 2008. Kronos provides scheduling, payroll and other work force management software and services. The company's index covers 68 companies with 27,000 retail locations.
Transportation, warehousing and utilities companies are also adding a jobs, the Labor Department said. That sector posted 64,000 job openings in February, about two-thirds higher than a year ago. Figures for that sector aren't seasonally adjusted.
On Friday, the department said transportation and warehousing gained 7,800 jobs in March. That was the most since September 2007, before the recession began.
"That's a good sign that we're moving more freight and goods," said Brian Bethune, chief U.S. financial economist at IHS Global Insight.
Echo Global Logistics Inc., a supply management company, said Tuesday that it will open a new sales office in Dallas. The Dallas office will initially be staffed by 10-12 new hires and will add 30-40 new hires over the next year, the company said in a statement.
Automaker BMW Manufacturing Co., meanwhile, said last week that it plans to hire about 200 temporary production and logistics workers at its Greer, S.C., plant. The plant makes BMW's X5 and X6 models and will begin production of the X3 later this year.
Still, about 14.8 million people were jobless in February. That's nearly double the total from before the recession began in December 2007. It means about 5.5 people, on average, are competing for each available job. That's higher than in January, but down from the record 6.2 reached in November. Only 1.8 people, on average, were competing for each opening in December 2007.
The Labor Department's report also showed that layoffs declined sharply in February. They fell to 1.8 million from 1.95 million in January. Layoffs have fallen back to pre-recession levels, but job openings are recovering more slowly. Job openings remain about 40 percent below their pre-recession levels of about 4.5 million.
Friday, April 2, 2010
March payrolls rise 162,000 on private hiring
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. non-farm payrolls, a key measure of the economy's health, rose in March for only the third time since recession struck in late 2007 as the private sector stepped up hiring at the fastest pace in almost 3 years.
Employers added 162,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said on Friday, leaving the unemployment rate steady at 9.7 percent for the third straight month. The payrolls increase was the largest since March 2007, and also reflected temporary hiring for the census.
Payroll figures for January were revised to show a 14,000 gain, while February was adjusted to show only a loss of 14,000.
Analysts polled by Reuters had expected non-farm payrolls to rise 190,000 last month and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 9.7 percent. The median projection from the 20 economists who have forecast payrolls most accurately over the past year predicted 200,000 jobs were created in March.
The labor market has lagged the economy's recovery from the worst downturn since the 1930s, creating a political challenge for President Barack Obama.
Job growth is critical to keeping alive the recovery, which started in the second half of 2009, once government stimulus efforts and a boost from businesses' rebuilding inventories fade.
"Employment growth is the last piece of the puzzle. We need job growth and labor income growth in order to have a sustainable economic recovery," said Zach Pandl, an economist at Nomura Securities International in New York.
About 48,000 temporary workers for the decennial census were hired last month, while private payrolls jumped 123,000, the highest since May 2007.
Employment last month was also lifted by a snap back from February's weather-related losses. Since December 2007, payrolls had contracted every month except last November, January, and now March.
The bounce back in employment could take some pressure off Obama, who has made putting back Americans to work a top priority. Since the start of the downturn about 8.2 million jobs have been lost.
Analysts reckon the state of the job market will determine when the Federal Reserve will start raising benchmark interest rates, which are currently near zero.
The U.S. central bank has promised to keep overnight rates ultra low for an extended period, citing subdued inflation and the likelihood the economic recovery will be moderate.
In the goods-producing sector, manufacturing added 17,000 jobs in March and construction payrolls grew 15,000. Payrolls in the services sector increased as retail employment climbed 14,900. Government employment increased 39,000, reflecting the temporary hiring for the census.
The average workweek for all employees rose to 34 hours from 33.9 hours in February.
Employers added 162,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department said on Friday, leaving the unemployment rate steady at 9.7 percent for the third straight month. The payrolls increase was the largest since March 2007, and also reflected temporary hiring for the census.
Payroll figures for January were revised to show a 14,000 gain, while February was adjusted to show only a loss of 14,000.
Analysts polled by Reuters had expected non-farm payrolls to rise 190,000 last month and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 9.7 percent. The median projection from the 20 economists who have forecast payrolls most accurately over the past year predicted 200,000 jobs were created in March.
The labor market has lagged the economy's recovery from the worst downturn since the 1930s, creating a political challenge for President Barack Obama.
Job growth is critical to keeping alive the recovery, which started in the second half of 2009, once government stimulus efforts and a boost from businesses' rebuilding inventories fade.
"Employment growth is the last piece of the puzzle. We need job growth and labor income growth in order to have a sustainable economic recovery," said Zach Pandl, an economist at Nomura Securities International in New York.
About 48,000 temporary workers for the decennial census were hired last month, while private payrolls jumped 123,000, the highest since May 2007.
Employment last month was also lifted by a snap back from February's weather-related losses. Since December 2007, payrolls had contracted every month except last November, January, and now March.
The bounce back in employment could take some pressure off Obama, who has made putting back Americans to work a top priority. Since the start of the downturn about 8.2 million jobs have been lost.
Analysts reckon the state of the job market will determine when the Federal Reserve will start raising benchmark interest rates, which are currently near zero.
The U.S. central bank has promised to keep overnight rates ultra low for an extended period, citing subdued inflation and the likelihood the economic recovery will be moderate.
In the goods-producing sector, manufacturing added 17,000 jobs in March and construction payrolls grew 15,000. Payrolls in the services sector increased as retail employment climbed 14,900. Government employment increased 39,000, reflecting the temporary hiring for the census.
The average workweek for all employees rose to 34 hours from 33.9 hours in February.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Job openings up sharply in January to 2.7M
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Job openings rose sharply earlier this year, evidence that employers are slowly ramping up hiring as the economy improves.
The number of openings in January rose about 7.6 percent, to 2.7 million, compared with December, the Labor Department said. That's the highest total since February 2009.
The report is a sign that the economy is soon likely to generate consistent job gains. Some economists expect employers to add up to a net 300,000 jobs in March, though as many as a third of them could be temporary hiring for the 2010 Census.
Hiring is critical to sustaining the economic recovery because job growth boosts incomes and helps restore the confidence needed to drive consumer spending. A gradual increase in net hiring would help prevent the recovery from fizzling.
There are now about 5.5 unemployed people, on average, competing for each opening. That's still far more than the 1.7 people who were competing for each opening when the recession began. But it's down from just over 6 people per opening in December 2009.
Economists were encouraged by the report but cautioned that hiring will likely increase only slowly this year.
"It's getting better, though not as quickly as you'd like," said Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak.
The economy has lost 8.4 million jobs since the recession began, the largest drop since the 1930s. The jobless rate was unchanged last month at 9.7 percent. Most economists expect the rate to remain elevated for several years.
The transition to job growth "is an important step in the expansion," Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, wrote in a note to clients. "It will not change the story that this will be a subdued recovery ... but will reduce the odds of a relapse."
The gradually brightening jobs picture corresponds to what many job search Web sites are reporting. The Monster employment index, a measure of online postings by the job board Monster.com, rose 2 percent in February compared with the previous year. That was the first year-over-year increase since December 2007, when the recession began, the company said.
Indeed.com, which aggregates job listings from thousands of online career boards and individual company sites, is also seeing improvement. The company said last week that 10 of the 12 industries it tracks posted more job openings in February than they did a year ago.
"We have seen a sharp turnaround in the job market in the last few months," said Paul Forster, CEO of Indeed.com.
Management consulting firm Accenture PLC plans to hire 50,000 employees worldwide by the end of August, according to spokesman Alex Pachetti. More than 7,000 of those jobs, including technology and consulting positions, will be in the United States, he said.
The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey illustrates the heavy job turnover that occurs even in a sluggish economy. Employers hired about 4.08 million people in January, the report said. At the same time, 4.12 million people were fired or otherwise left their jobs.
Job openings are down sharply from pre-recession levels. There were nearly 4.4 million available positions in December 2007, the government said, compared with the 2.7 million openings in January.
Most of the January job gains were concentrated in education and health care, the report said. Job openings in those industries rose 72,000, or 13 percent. Hotels and restaurants also saw gains, with an increase of 28,000 openings, or 13.5 percent.
Forster noted that job gains in the hospitality and retail industries signal growing confidence in the recovery, because those sectors depend on consumer spending. Among the 12 industries that Indeed.com tracks, those two saw the biggest gains in job postings last month, he said.
Job openings in information technology are also rising. Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings, said postings on its Dice.com job board for IT professionals rose 7 percent as of March 1 compared with a year ago.
"We're not seeing a huge rebound," Melland said. "What we're seeing is a nice steady increase in recruiting activity."
The number of openings in January rose about 7.6 percent, to 2.7 million, compared with December, the Labor Department said. That's the highest total since February 2009.
The report is a sign that the economy is soon likely to generate consistent job gains. Some economists expect employers to add up to a net 300,000 jobs in March, though as many as a third of them could be temporary hiring for the 2010 Census.
Hiring is critical to sustaining the economic recovery because job growth boosts incomes and helps restore the confidence needed to drive consumer spending. A gradual increase in net hiring would help prevent the recovery from fizzling.
There are now about 5.5 unemployed people, on average, competing for each opening. That's still far more than the 1.7 people who were competing for each opening when the recession began. But it's down from just over 6 people per opening in December 2009.
Economists were encouraged by the report but cautioned that hiring will likely increase only slowly this year.
"It's getting better, though not as quickly as you'd like," said Dan Greenhaus, chief economic strategist at Miller Tabak.
The economy has lost 8.4 million jobs since the recession began, the largest drop since the 1930s. The jobless rate was unchanged last month at 9.7 percent. Most economists expect the rate to remain elevated for several years.
The transition to job growth "is an important step in the expansion," Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, wrote in a note to clients. "It will not change the story that this will be a subdued recovery ... but will reduce the odds of a relapse."
The gradually brightening jobs picture corresponds to what many job search Web sites are reporting. The Monster employment index, a measure of online postings by the job board Monster.com, rose 2 percent in February compared with the previous year. That was the first year-over-year increase since December 2007, when the recession began, the company said.
Indeed.com, which aggregates job listings from thousands of online career boards and individual company sites, is also seeing improvement. The company said last week that 10 of the 12 industries it tracks posted more job openings in February than they did a year ago.
"We have seen a sharp turnaround in the job market in the last few months," said Paul Forster, CEO of Indeed.com.
Management consulting firm Accenture PLC plans to hire 50,000 employees worldwide by the end of August, according to spokesman Alex Pachetti. More than 7,000 of those jobs, including technology and consulting positions, will be in the United States, he said.
The Labor Department's Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey illustrates the heavy job turnover that occurs even in a sluggish economy. Employers hired about 4.08 million people in January, the report said. At the same time, 4.12 million people were fired or otherwise left their jobs.
Job openings are down sharply from pre-recession levels. There were nearly 4.4 million available positions in December 2007, the government said, compared with the 2.7 million openings in January.
Most of the January job gains were concentrated in education and health care, the report said. Job openings in those industries rose 72,000, or 13 percent. Hotels and restaurants also saw gains, with an increase of 28,000 openings, or 13.5 percent.
Forster noted that job gains in the hospitality and retail industries signal growing confidence in the recovery, because those sectors depend on consumer spending. Among the 12 industries that Indeed.com tracks, those two saw the biggest gains in job postings last month, he said.
Job openings in information technology are also rising. Scot Melland, CEO of Dice Holdings, said postings on its Dice.com job board for IT professionals rose 7 percent as of March 1 compared with a year ago.
"We're not seeing a huge rebound," Melland said. "What we're seeing is a nice steady increase in recruiting activity."
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