Careerpathfinder, LLC

09/05/2019

Want to make big money in a career field that has plent of openings ? then you might be interested in reading this article from Quentin Fotrell.

Most people want to find a job that gives them more money, but they also want to be happy.

It’s the $108,000 question: How can you have both? Is there a job out there that gives you a six-figure income, high job satisfaction and has enough job openings to make it a real possibility? As unemployment hovers a 49-year low, it’s a question worth asking.

There’s probably never been a better time since the Great Recession to start looking. The U.S. economy is slowing down and added 164,000 new jobs in July, the government reported last month. Analysts polled by MarketWatch predicted 171,000 new jobs last month.

Companies are always keen to use intel to improve efficiency and learn more about their customers and, so, data scientists are in high demand.

They’re No. 1 on Glassdoor’s “Best Jobs in America” for 2019 — for the fourth straight year. They boast median base annual salary of $108,000, but Glassdoor also says there are signs their salary growth has been levelling off. They were followed by nursing managers at No. 2 ($83,000) and marketing managers at No. 3 ($82,000), occupational therapists at No. 4 ($74,000) and product managers at No. 5 ($115,000).

The “Glassdoor Job Score” is determined by weighing three factors equally: Earning potential (median annual base salary), overall job satisfaction rating and number of job openings. For a job title to be considered, it must receive at least 100 salary reports and at least 100 job satisfaction ratings shared by U.S.-based employees in one year. Results represent job titles that rate highly among all of those three categories. C-suite and intern level jobs were excluded from this report.

Read MarketWatch’s Moneyist advice column on the etiquette and ethics of your financial affairs and, this week: ‘ My children’s stepmother won’t return family heirlooms and gifts they gave their late father — how can we get them back?’

There were other six-figure jobs among Glassdoor’s top 20 list with relatively high number of job openings, job satisfaction and earning potential, including devops engineers at No. 6 ($106,000 a year) who work with developers and the IT staff to oversee code releases, data engineers at No. 8 ($100,000), software engineers at No. 10 ($104,000), physician assistant at No. 12 ($105,000), strategy manager at No. 16 ($140,000) and security engineers at No. 17 ($102,000).

Don’t miss: One reason wages aren’t rising faster: The gutting of middle-manager positions

But data scientists have competition. A separate report by the U.S. News & World Report lists software developers as No. 1. The job offers flexible hours and remote work opportunities, while investing in individuals’ personal and professional development. Like data scientists, software developers have a median annual salary of over $100,000. They’re employed in computer systems design, manufacturing and finance. Physician assistants were No. 2, followed by dentists at No. 3.

Data scientists and software developers use programming language such as Python, followed by R, SQL, Hadoop and the more well-known Java, according to careers site Glassdoor. A mid-level data scientist is likely to be proficient in Python, R and SQL, Java, Python and JavaScript and make close to $130,000 a year. Google GOOG, +1.84%,Aetna US:AET,and Microsoft MSFT, +1.59% typically hire people for these roles. are among the top programming languages.

The jobs environment is getting rosier, at least judging by the latest jobs figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics last. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.7% in July and remained near a 50-year low. What’s more, more people entered the labor force in search of work, the government reported. The labor force participation rate was 63% in July, up slightly from 62.9% in June.

05/19/2019

Here's an interesting article from my friend Caleb Yen.

Are you a workaholic ? Because most people are.

It happens all the time. When you’re playing with the kids. When you’re at the doctor. When all you want to do is fall asleep.

You can’t stop thinking about work.

Regardless of whether you hate your job, we’re a nation of workaholics. A recent survey from OnePoll, revealed the average employee works four hours a week without pay, and spends another four hours each week just thinking about their job. Forty-eight percent (48%) thought of themselves as modern-day workaholics, while 53% were stressed out as they took the survey!

In the study, researchers found three main symptoms of workaholism. Let’s dig in.

You Worry About Work on a Day Off

You don’t have to work today. You’re doing errands, spending time with family and friends, maybe even binge watching a few episodes of your favorite Netflix shows. But you can’t stop thinking about an upcoming deadline, a spat with a co-worker, or what your schedule is for next week.

Overthinking like that can be a difficult to stop. However, one way to cope involves making lists. Before you take a day off, write down everything you need to do in the coming week. Then, if you’re still stressed on your day off, refer to that list and journal about how you’re feeling. Getting all your work anxiety out onto the page can make it easier to relax and decompress.

Feeling Like You’re Too Busy to Take a Vacation

You have deadlines, responsibilities, maybe even employees who work under you. You might feel like you’re the only one capable of handling your responsibilities. And if you went on vacation, everything would fall apart.

You need to work with your manager to figure out a way to take a vacation. This isn’t just to keep you from burning out. A State University of New York study found that when men between the ages of 35 and 57, who were at risk for heart disease, didn’t take a week-long vacation every year, they were about 30% more likely to die of heart disease. Specialists note in an article with Fox News that a study done with women would show comparable results.

So for your health, take that vacation! If you’re worried about planning, schedule the vacation a few months in advance, and work with your manager and team to make sure all of your responsibilities are covered while you’re gone.

Checking Your Email Immediately After Waking Up

The OnePoll survey found that 58% of respondents check their phones right when they wake up. That means you start working as soon as you open your eyes.

Technology is great. But the omnipresence of smart phones and tablets means that we’re always accessible for a quick work phone call or text. This can be great for getting things done, but terrible for our mental health.

The only way to fix this problem is to unplug by turning your phone off. Try to schedule a weekend or even just an eight-hour period where you’re completely off the grid. Play board games with your family, hang out with your dog, or just sleep!

02/18/2019

A colleague of mine Caleb yen recently asked, "Do you like your job?" According to a recent Gallup study, 51% of employees aren’t engaged at work. Meaning they just do what they have to do to get through the day, but don’t really have dreams for advancement. Another 16% are “actively disengaged,” meaning they complain all the time and bring the entire mood of the workplace down.

That’s about 2/3 of the workforce who don’t really like their jobs. But these individuals don’t quit. They keep working. Why? Money. At a base level, that’s why people work—to earn a paycheck. And it’s a ton of work to find a new job. Most people just don’t have the time or energy to manage their job, family responsibilities, and other parts of their life with a sustained job search. So they keep working jobs where they aren’t particularly happy.

But if you’re starting to become “actively disengaged,” your behavior might eventually be grounds for dismissal. You don’t want to transform into that one bitter employee in the office everyone avoids.

Here are a few signs it might be time to start looking for a new job.

*Note: Feeling disengaged doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. If you’re exhibiting these types of behavior, it may mean you aren’t happy and need a change.

1.You resent your boss. This doesn’t necessarily mean you find your boss annoying or that you wish they’d promote you and give you a bigger raise. This is when those seemingly small slights pile up and combine to create deep feelings of resentment.

You’ve tried to speak to your boss about some of your problems, but nothing came of those meetings. Now you see them as an obstacle rather than a helpful resource. Bad bosses are often the reason employees aren’t happy. If that relationship turns sour, it may affect your opinion of your work, or even the company as a whole.

2.You see small problems as serious issues. When you’re unhappy in a job, you might start to take everything personally. Instead of seeking a resolution or being optimistic, you immediately react with negative thoughts.

For example, the company might announce a new initiative and you respond by groaning about how much more work this is going to cause you. Or a co-worker doesn’t reply to your email for four hours and you think of it as a personal insult. Instead of trying to discuss these feelings with your manager, you bottle them up inside and just stay angry.

These feelings are understandable, but unprofessional. You might think you’re hiding your resentment, but it will inevitably bleed into your work.

3.You just don’t care. The only thing you care about is doing a good enough job to keep getting a paycheck.

That’s a problem because it means you won’t ever progress. You won’t get a promotion, you won’t get a raise, and you certainly won’t get out of the company you’re so ambivalent about.

This feeling of not caring doesn’t sound so bad, but it’s poison. It saps your energy. If you don’t have some sort of goal in life, something to work toward, what’s the point? Everything becomes about getting through the day so you can get through another day, another week, another month, and so on.

If you feel it's time for a change, call me at (616 485 - 5113 to learn how I may help YOU !

09/05/2018

What was the most difficult question you were ever asked in a job interview ?

02/12/2018

Presumably, you don't set reminders to contact close friends or keep detailed records of how you met them. But with professional networking, that's exactdly the thing to do.

Check in periodically by forwarding articles, leads or anything that says,"I'm thinking of you". That keeps connections alive and inspires others to think about you too.

TIP: You can manage contacts with a site like Jibber-Jobber or vowel-averse apps like Shapr, Closr and ntwrk. But most veteran networkers I spoke with rely on a plain old Excel spreadsheet.

Yes, it works. But many things we might tke for granted in college - metabolism, relationships, connections to like-minded peers - demand more effort and maintenance after graduation. And when it comes to standing out among thousands of applicants and finding those hidden-gem opportunities, luck favors the networked.

01/30/2018

So what if, despite your best efforts, you find yourself at a live networking event, circling dense knots of professionals like a shark trying to break up a school of sardines ?
First, do some advanced recon. Before the event, send an email to the event organizers introducing yourself, to give you a lifeline and a foothold. At the event, approach lone bystanders like yourself. Be thinking about what you can offer them.
TIP: Handwritten notes add value to business cards. Find an excuse to write something on your business card - your private email or a recommended contact. When you receive a card, jot a note to help you recall the person later.

01/22/2018

Let's continue our discussion on Networking....

Although networking sites abound - Indeed, Monster, CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, etc., the best known platform for networking is Linkedin. Remember, we're talking about networking now, not job hunting.

Start building your network based on warm and already built relationships. As you work your way out to second and third-party contacts, create customized greetings to your "Connect" requests.

On traditional social media sites - Facebook,Twitter, Instagram, YouTube - follow relevant employers, recruiters and big names. Become a regular in their comment feeds. At a minimum, subscribe to their publications. Every online community has their own culture so look before you leap.

If you connect with someone you don't knowon Linkedin, it's called stalking. If you connect with someone you don't know on social media, it's flattering.

TIP: When selecting a profile picture, ask yourself, "Is this how I would look when I show up on my first day at work?"

01/10/2018

If you're already employed in your field, you've got a pre-poured networking foundation. Building on it is as simple as"Good morning" and "Can I help with that ?". When networking among your colleagues don't go for the most impressive person at the top of the org chart. Someone just a few years ahead of you, with fresh memories of transitioning to the working world, may be more helpful. If your not that bold, just make yourself more useful. Occassionally volunteering for aggregator tasks - organizing meetings, gathering donations or taking lunch orders - gives you an excuse to approach colleagues at all levels. And if the word gets around that you have a stash of Ibuprophen or some specialized skill such as knowing "who" from "whom," you may find colleaguse beating a path to your cubicle.

Tip: In professional emails to strangers, it's better to err on the side of formality. Call your correspondent "William" unless you see him signing off as "Bill".

11/01/2017

Interviewers and HR professionals go through hundreds of resumes a day. And that’s after computers have already gone through thousands more. If you really want to stand out, you need to add something extra to your resume. After all, you can’t make an impression without an interview.Get Past the Filter

In order for your resume to even be seen by a human being, you first have to get past the robots. No, this isn’t a science fiction story—we’re talking about the programs companies use to filter resumes.

These programs look for certain keywords and phrases that show how you match the job qualifications. A lot of that is industry jargon—words and phrases only those “in the know” would use. And guess where a lot of those words show up! Right in the job description. Find anything usable in the job description and pop it right back into your resume. Google is an invaluable resource for finding out more industry-specific words to use.

However, be careful of using too many keywords. If your keywords aren’t organically placed into the resume, they will look out of place once the resume makes it into human hands. Instead of trying to pack your resume with as many keywords as possible, just make sure to choose the right keywords in the right places.

Cater Your Resume to the Job Description

Don’t stop at just customizing your resume for the industry. Make sure it answers each and every concern brought up by the job description. Make sure each bullet shows exactly how your individual work advanced the company as a whole.

You can accomplish this even if your prior work has not been in the same industry. Just re-frame your experiences with industry specific terms, and show how that experience would really help in this new job.

The only difficult part of all of this is answering requirements with bullet points. You obviously can’t just write out your answers like in grade school. You have to adapt them to the resume format. Look at a few different resume formats online, and choose the one that best matches your current needs.

Your Accomplishments

Companies want to know more than what you did. They want to know how what you did benefited the company as a whole. In other words, they want to know your accomplishments.

Quantify each accomplishment, noting how it led to an X% increase in efficiency or saved X amount of time on project. Use action verbs like oversaw, managed, led, etc.

08/25/2016

I don't typically put inspirational material on my career website but the spirit has moved me to do so today. This quote is from a father talking about forgiving the man who murdered his so, He said, "If you can't forgive, you can't expect to be forgiven". Pretty powerful stuff ! Think about it America....

08/06/2016

At this point in your career or job search, you’ve probably heard a lot about skills. There are hard skills, like typing and reading, and soft skills, like etiquette and time management. You know that you should seek ways to sharpen your leadership abilities and brush up on your communication talents. But, today’s business world is constantly changing, which means the skills employers seek are, too. In fact, there are a few surprising skills you may not even know you need to improve your chances of landing a job this year.

According to FastCompany, there are eight career skills that will not only help you secure interviews, but also seal the deal with a potential employer. Among those skills are some familiar qualities, like strong communication skills and the desire to learn. Employers are always looking for people who know how to communicate effectively, no matter their role in the company, and you should never turn down the opportunity to learn a new skill, equipment, or ability.

There are other skills FastCompany mentioned, however, that are not so common. Let’s take a look at the abilities you may not know you need.

Knowledge of Other Cultures
According to Paula Caligiuri, professor of international business and strategy at Northeastern University, leaders rank working with people from different cultures as their weakest skill. This weakness could be because they lack the opportunity to work with other cultures, or because they aren’t aware of its importance. Paula says that when you study and interact with other cultures, you learn tolerance, perspective, and humility. These are all traits that employers like to see, so take some time to learn about other cultures and sharpen your knowledge of how business works in countries other than your own.

A Global Mind-Set
Did you know that the fastest-growing economies are in Asia and South America? Businesses today benefit from knowing how prosperous countries are doing business, growing, and succeeding. If you know how to market, sell, and communicate to those countries, you automatically make yourself an ideal candidate for employers who need those skills on their team.

Effective Conflict Resolution
Conflict exists in virtually every workplace. But, how you deal with that conflict says a lot about you. Companies want to find employees who work well with others and know how to effectively resolve conflict. Take some time to learn skills that help you address issues as they arise and sort through conflict, like communication skills and anger management. Many employers will rule out a candidate if they don’t know how to resolve conflict, so make sure you aren’t one of them.

An Understanding of Analytics
According to Merriam Webster, the study of analytics is “a careful study of something to learn about its parts, what they do, and how they are related to each other.” It’s also classified as “an explanation of the nature and meaning of something.” In your career field, analytics may mean the study of how many visitors the company website attracts, how many customers are buying products, or which days of the week are better for your business. Whatever it may be, understanding how to read and decipher such information is essential to successfully stand out from the job search competition. Be sure to brush up on your ability to research and sort data, and include examples of how you’ve used analytics on your resume

05/04/2016

GIVE YOUR CAREER A MAKEOVER

There may be times in your professional life that you become frustrated and feel like you aren’t quite getting where you’d like to be. If you ever reach that point, it may be time to give your career a makeover. From defining your personal vision to evaluating your strengths and weaknesses, check out these tips to help you revamp your career and keep pursuing the professional path you desire.

Identify your strengths and weaknesses.
When undergoing a career makeover, you must be able to pinpoint the areas where you excel and those in which you could improve. Ask yourself questions like, “What things do I avoid because I lack the confidence to do them?” or “What am I best at?” Defining these areas will help guide you toward job prospects that are appropriate for you, and give you the opportunity to hone those skills that aren’t quite top notch.

Define your vision statement.
Without knowing where you want to go, it’s hard to outline the steps it will take to get there. Be honest with yourself about what you desire from your career. Think about what you want in terms of job role and industry, work-life balance, etc. Where do you aspire to be in the next five to 10 years? Then, once you have a vision in your mind, get it down on paper. Check it often to make sure you’re staying on track toward your desired career.

Enlist a mentor.
Once you’ve identified where you want to go with your career, find an experienced professional in that field. A mentor will be able to give you positive guidance through your makeover process and beyond. Just remember, mentoring is a major commitment for everyone involved. Be respectful of your mentor’s time and come prepared with questions and topics to discuss when you meet. When your mentor understands your goals, they can better direct you through the process.

Reinforce your personal brand.
Another tip to consider is rebranding. Your audience—a potential employer—needs to know what you’re good at. Get started on this by updating your LinkedIn profile with applicable skills and follow relevant groups. Most importantly, make sure your online social media presence, whether it be on Facebook, Twitter, or some other site, is reflective of your recent career makeover.

Take it one step at a time.
A career makeover can sound overwhelming. Once you’ve identified where you want to be versus where you are now, you can establish goals to help you move along that path. Just remember that building your dream career won’t happen overnight and it’s best to take things one day at a time. Be intentional in getting things done, but don’t put so much on your plate that you become discouraged.

04/20/2016

Every parent of a high school aged child should watch this speech !
https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vfl4BGbMxoQ

There were thousands of college commencement speeches around the country this year for the Class of 2015. But there was one missing -- one very truthful, fun...

04/07/2016

Here's a great application of technology ! I hope there's an entrepreneur out there who will pick this ball up and run with it !

https://www.youtube.com/embed/y-rEI4bezWc

Each year nearly a million people in Europe suffer from a cardiac arrest. A mere 8% survives due to slow response times of emergency services. The ambulance-...

02/24/2016

A good friend of mine, Joe Passkiewicz sent me this link recently about resume writing which I think is fantastic ! If you're looking for a job, do yourself a big favor and click on this link. You won't regret it...

http://www.fastcompany.com/3056444/the-future-of-work/cover-letters-are-dead-do-this-instead

Many recruiters say that they don't read cover letters, but you can still personalize your pitch by making these changes to your resume.

02/04/2016

7 WAYS TO SET GOALS FOR YOUR JOB SEARCH

As the year begins, resolutions and goal-setting start to become a priority. For those searching for a job, goal-setting can be an empowering and valuable tool in finding a new career. After all, numerous studies prove that setting achievable and measurable goals leads to success.

Setting distinct goals allows you to identify what you want, how you can accomplish what you want, and what it takes to get there. Incorporating goal-setting into your job search process has a lot of benefits, so check out these tips below:

Be clear on what kind of job you want.

If you can describe the specific kind of job you want, then you know exactly what kind of job openings to pursue. If you apply for every job you see, you may get bogged down and frustrated. By creating a list of target companies and positions, you save time by not applying for the jobs that aren’t the right for you.

Make a list of long term goals, short term goals, and immediate goals.

Take time to consider what you want in the next five to 10 years. After that, set up goals for the next month that will help you reach your long term goals. Lastly, figure out what you need now to reach your monthly goals and how you can meet those needs. Think of it as a business plan for your career.

Customize resumes and cover letters.

Set a goal to target your resume and cover letter in a way that shows off your relevant skills, but also targets each specific job for which you’re applying. Learn to identify key words in job postings and include those words to help you stand out to recruiters.

Use your goals to schedule your daily activities.

Having a plan for each day as a job seeker helps you stay on track and feel productive. For instance, you may schedule online job searching on Monday, applications on Tuesday, interview practice and networking on Wednesday, etc. Having a plan in place helps keep you focused on your goals.

Each week, create at least three goals for your job search.

Focus on actions that help you with your job search. Some activities could include attending at least one networking event, reaching out to a recruiter on LinkedIn, or applying for two positions a day in the field you want.

Keep your mind busy.

Your goals could also include ways to better educate yourself on job searching or the job you want. Read articles or updates, find new information about the positions you want, read job interview tips, and keep your mind busy on the business of finding a career.

Use technology to help your goal setting.

Today’s world offers software and apps to help you with goal setting and tracking your success. If you need a little guidance on setting up goals and tracking them, consider apps like Smart Goals, Any.Do, or Evernote. These apps help you identify what you want to accomplish and help you get there.

When it comes to your career and job search, goal setting will allow you to stay focused on what comes next. Defining your career goals will help you take powerful steps toward creating a satisfying and rewarding work life.

01/29/2016

I find it sad that today there has been little to NO conversation on Facebook about the Challenger tragedy. Why do you think that is?

01/28/2016

I thought you all might be interested in knowing this:

What happened, quietly, on January 1, 2016 ??

Medicare tax went from 1.45% to 2.35%

Top Income tax bracket went from 35% to 39.6%

Capital Gains tax went from 15% to 28%

Dividend tax went from 15% to 39.6%

Estate tax went from 0% to 55%

A 3.5% Real Estate transaction tax was added.

These taxes were all passed in the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.