How to Find Fulfilling Work

BOOK REVIEW

How to Find Fulfilling Work, Author: Roman Krznaric.

By Maria Popova – “The way that education can lock us into careers, or at least substantially direct the route we travel, would not be so problematic if we were excellent judges of our future interests and characters. But we are not.

“When you were 16, or even in your early twenties, how much did you know about what kind of career would stimulate your mind and offer a meaningful vocation?

“Did you even know the range of jobs that were out there?

“Most of us lack the experience of life — and of ourselves — to make a wise decision at that age, even with the help of well-meaning career advisers.” more> http://tinyurl.com/ckf6esg

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How Far Are We From Full Employment?

By Gary Burtless – In the two years after December 2007 the number of payroll jobs shrank by a total of 8.7 million.

In the same two years the number of adults who reported holding a job fell 8.2 million.

Since the job market recovery began in early 2009 we have recovered a bit more than three-quarters of the job loss suffered in the Great Recession.

The number of payroll jobs has increased 6.7 million, and the number of adults who say they are employed has risen 6.3 million.

As of July 2013 we still needed to see an increase of 2 million jobs to bring us back to payroll levels we saw at the end of the last expansion. more> http://tinyurl.com/kehz8te

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• The Other American Dream: Social Mobility, Race and Opportunity, Richard V. Reeves, Brookings Institution
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Why Tight U.S. Labor Markets Are Here to Stay

By A. Gary Shilling – The outlook for the labor market remains bleak. Older Americans are holding on to their jobs longer, limiting openings for newcomers, and employers are cutting costs by extending working hours and paying overtime, rather than hiring.

Many may continue to live without jobs, relying on welfare and disability benefits. Others may continue to be discouraged by weak job markets. Many have lost their job skills due to prolonged unemployment, while others who were involved in residential construction and other shrunken trades are too old to learn new occupations. Unlike Bernanke, I believe that putting people back to work isn’t simply a matter of creating more aggregate demand. There are also meaningful structural problems. more> http://tinyurl.com/ps6vnm9

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Countdown to healthcare reform

By Linda Stern – In a post-Obamacare future, expect more employers to adopt defined contribution healthcare plans. Instead of providing coverage, they will throw a set amount of cash at workers and have them buy their own coverage on private employer-sponsored exchanges.

That future isn’t here yet.

Workers at big companies probably will face fewer immediate changes than everyone else. But those who buy their own insurance, go without coverage or work for small employers will see dramatic changes in the coverage available to them. Here’s an early take on what to expect and what to do about it now. more> http://tinyurl.com/a9chmol

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IDC Report: 1.7 Million Cloud Computing Jobs Remain Unfilled, Gap Widening

English: Cloud Computing visual diagram
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

By Saroj Kar – Research firm IDC titled in a new report “Climate Change: Cloud’s Impact on IT Organizations and Staffing” sponsored by Microsoft reported that the demand for cloud-savvy IT professionals will grow by 26% annually until 2015 and will create more than seven million cloud-related vacancies worldwide.

This gap in skills is even more alarming as almost two-thirds of global firms are planning to implement or use cloud technology and more than 50% of companies agree that the cloud is a priority. more> http://tinyurl.com/a6u9y9z

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The Kind Of Training You Really Need

By Mike Collins – We have been talking about the skilled labor problem for years. This is the fifth skills gap survey published by these organizations since 1990, and all show similar results, but, very few people who talk about this problem ever say exactly what skills are needed. The reason this is hard to define is that manufacturing covers a huge number of industries, industrial products, and types of manufacturing.

Six million people have been laid off from manufacturing jobs since 2001, and still 5 percent of all manufacturing jobs (60,000 jobs) remain unfilled. The manufacturers don’t want to hire back the low-skilled people; they want multi-skilled people who can do a wide variety of jobs. more> http://tinyurl.com/angzygv

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The Four Cornerstones Of Career Insurance

By Dr. Marty Martin – There is more to job security than mastering job search skills. There are plenty of books about resume writing, networking, interviewing, and developing a LinkedIn profile.

There are four cornerstones of Career Insurance; the organizing framework for putting together your own personal Career Insurance plan:

• Embracing adaptation
• Positioning for the next advance or change
• Investing in cutting edge skills
• Tapping into abundant thinking, creativity, and emotional non-attachment

more> http://tinyurl.com/aw4kb7v

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