Simply Hired Blog

National Disability Employment Awareness Month

The White House put out a Presidential Proclamation naming October National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and this year also marks 20th anniversary of the passing of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), the civil rights act that prohibits discrimination based on disability. The federal government hopes to improve employment opportunities for disabled Americans by becoming a model for the recruitment and hiring of disabled citizens and implementing programs for retaining these workers.

According to the most recent BLS employment numbers, there are currently more than 26 million disabled people in America. Of the almost 5.7 million disabled workers that are a part of the workforce, about 4.8 million are actually employed, for an unemployment rate of 14.8 percent—five points higher than the national average.

As equality is a fundamental right in this nation, people with disabilities are entitled to work. Are you a disabled worker having a difficult time in your job search? What are the biggest issues you have run into? Share your experiences in the comments below!

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Be Your Own Boss for National Boss Day

In a recent SimplyHired.com poll, we found that 28% of job seekers would want to start their own company, 36% would consider it and 18% stated they already had started their own company. In honor of National Boss Day tomorrow on October 16th, why don’t you put your entrepreneurial spirit to work and become your own boss

Fred Wilson, a VC and principal of Union Square Ventures, recently did a talk at the 99% Conference hosted by Behance and Cool Hunting. It was titled “10 Ways to Be Your Own Boss.” A few categories of entrepreneur discussed include:

     The Sole Proprietor – you think of yourself as the Lone Ranger and prefer to build and run a business by yourself.
     The Partnership – you and someone you know create and do business together. Works best if your skills complement or reinforce each other.
     The Project – you (and your team if you choose to build one) work on a single project together for a period of time. Then you sell off or abort the project, take a break and start a new project.

Check out the full talk to learn about some of the many ways you can be your own boss:

Fred Wilson: 10 Ways to Be Your Own Boss from 99% on Vimeo.

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Back to School Time… For Adults

It’s that time of the year again: the scent of freshly sharpened No. 2 pencils is in the air, Hello Kitty backpacks are flying off the shelves and the morning traffic just got worse. But it doesn’t have to be “back-to-school time” only for students in elementary school, high school or college. If you’re in the middle of an extended job search, right now is a great time to sign-up for classes to either learn new skills or stay up-to-date on current ones.

If you’ve ever considered taking classes to learn public speaking, software programming, creative writing, a new language, etc., now is an ideal time to dedicate to your continuing education. Not sure what to sign up for? Run a search on SimplyHired.com for jobs you’re interested in, to see the requirements of those jobs. If they require certain skills or experience that you don’t have, check to see if your local college or university offers relevant courses. Consider looking at online courses as well; they provide the option to choose when and where you would like to study.

If you’re considering a career change or want to take the next step towards a masters or doctoral degree, this is also a great time to enroll full-time at an accredited university. Keep track of admission dates; some colleges have rolling admission while others may be accepting applications for spring over the next few months. By having a degree in a relevant subject, you can more easily change careers into a growing industry or a less competitive market. In addition, candidates who hold higher-level degrees are often seen as more valuable and often earn higher salaries. And after receiving that Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, don’t forget to narrow down your search results on SimplyHired.com by using the Education filter!

By going back to school, you can learn new skills or work towards higher level degrees that can help you change careers, earn a higher pay, and be seen as a more valuable employee. Enroll today!

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The Girl who Quit via Dry Erase Board

We’ve all heard the story by now (which has officially been confirmed as a hoax by Elyse Porterfield and theCHIVE): “Jenny” couldn’t stand her boss’s antics anymore and became so fed-up that she decided to leave the company. But Jenny didn’t just put in her two-weeks notice through a professional letter, she emailed out 33 pictures to the entire staff illustrating, through writing on a dry erase board, how her boss had treated her the past two years – even emphasizing her boss’s use of time spent online. 

Even though Jenny is a hoax, job seekers might be able to take a tip or two from her drastic departure. If Jenny were real, she would now be sitting in an interesting situation: no job, popularity on the Internet due to her now viral pictures and stuck with the task of landing her next gig. 

What should Jenny do? Simply Hired has a few tips Jenny might want to consider:

• Discover your passion. Jenny has a creative edge to her, and her skills could be well suited in the social media or advertising fields (both which have increased job count recently – especially with social media trends which have shot up), rather than as an assistant like her previous job. Find your true passion and begin searching for jobs that match. 
• Be prepared for the interview. There’s a list of interview questions that everyone should be prepared for, but in a case such as Jenny’s, you must be prepared to talk about the incident. Be prepared to explain why you did it, and show how this form of communication can be so effective – easily illustrating your talent for viral media!
• Leverage your fame.  Start your own blog, begin tweeting, and stay active on Facebook and LinkedIn or whatever other social media profiles you might have. Exemplify your skills in these places where others will be looking, and you might even attract a few recruiters with your social media presence. 
• Say ‘Thank You.’ After your interviews, be sure to send thank you notes to show your respect for the company’s time and interest in you. This will show your professionalism and sincerity, which after a stunt such as Jenny’s is an important trait to show potential employers. 

If you’re like Jenny and are creative with a clever wit, here are some positions you might want to check out:

• Emerging Media Specialist
• Social Media Guru
• New Media Specialist 
• Internet Marketing Manager
• Creative Project Manager
• Creative Director
• Art Director
• Social Engagement Manager
• Creative Writer
• Interactive Designer
• Graphic Designer

Remember, what you do on the Internet is available for all to see. So if you don’t want your future employer to see the drastic manner in which you left your last job, don’t post the evidence on the Internet.

Join in the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Cleanup

The Gulf Coast spill is still causing devastating effects on the area’s coastlines, wildlife and people, most closely in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, though many other states are seeing its effects as well.

Currently, over 25,000 workers have been employed by more than 100 BP subcontractors to help in the cleanup effort. While a slew of resources are being tapped to aid in the coast cleanup, a much larger workforce is needed. If you would like to aid in the oil spill cleanup effort, you can search close to a thousand oil spill jobs on SimplyHired.com.

You don’t need to have HAZWOPER training to get involved (but if you do, it’s a plus). Many other environmental jobs are needed for the oil spill cleanup, including beach cleanup technicians and surveyors to ask residents how the oil spill is affecting their lives. In addition, there has been an influx of marine specialist jobs for near shore skimming and disposing of oil soaked contaminated materials.

Here is a listing of job opportunities related to the oil spill:

• HAZWOPER Technician
• Marine Specialist
• Safety Technician
• Logistics Leader
• Cleanup Workers
• Field Technician
• Waste Water Treatment Operator

While there has been some job creation due to the cleanup effort, the oil spill has caused significant job loss in the fishing and tourism industries, as well as jobs related to oil drilling. Those who have lost their jobs due to the Gulf Coast oil spill may qualify for unemployment benefits. Check with your state’s Department of Labor for information on unemployment insurance eligibility where you live.

On SimplyHired.com, you can find many ways to get involved in the cleanup effort around the Gulf Coast – no special experience required!