31 Jan

Job Postings Encouraging: A Year in Review

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Career Resource Center


While 2010 ended quite discouraging for job seekers according to the 9.4% unemployment rate, the jobs picture is finally starting to brighten according to job boards like Simply Hired and Indeed.com. According to Rony Kahan, the co-founder and chief technology officer of Indeed.com, “there are encouraging signs that a recovery is underway. The number of job listings is on the rise, companies are making hiring announcements and more hiring managers say they plan to hire full-time workers in 2011 than in the past two years.”

According to Simply Hired’s U.S. Employment Trends Report,  job postings rose more than 50 percent in 2010 over 2009, and they increased almost 70 percent in December 2010 over December 2009.  Indeed.com has seen similar results. In their latest Industry Employment Trends Survey, all 12 of the major industries they track showed at least 38 percent more job postings and eight of those industries were 60 percent or more in 2010 over 2009. The largest growth in job postings for both sites was in the transportation industry. See the chart below for a breakdown of job openings by industry at Simply Hired.

While healthcare appears to be in the middle of the road for Simply Hired’s job postings, it is the lowest growth industry at Indeed.com with 38% increased job postings. Simply Hired broke down the job postings even further to occupation categories. The occupation categories with the largest increase in job postings in 2010 over 2009 included farmers/ fishers/forestry workers (199%), retail salespersons (172%), transportation workers (167%), and financial specialists/accountants (136%). Scientists/social scientists/lab tech job postings increased 44%, engineer postings increased 78%, and doctors/nurses/therapists/health tech postings increased 49%. While these occupation categories did see increased job postings, they are on the lower side of all category increases. This suggests that there are jobs out there for scientists to stay in the science field, but it may be the time to look for alternative careers utilizing your science degree. A great area according to these findings may be in the financial specialist area.

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26 Jan

High Paying Postdoc Fellowship Program

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Other Positions

Postdocs at Argonne: Sarah Hurst

Image by Argonne National Laboratory via Flickr

I recently came across the Life Sciences Research Foundation (LSRF), which is a foundation that fosters partnerships between research-oriented companies and academic institutions by funding the training of the very best young scientists. They do so by offering highly competitive postdoctoral fellowship programs. While these are not for individuals looking at alternative careers in science, it may be of interest to those looking to continue on to a postdoc position.

The postdoc fellowship programs are three-year fellowships awarded on a competitive basis to graduates of medical and graduate schools in the biological sciences holding M.D., Ph.D., D.V.M. or D.D.S. degrees. Awards are based solely on the quality of the individual applicant’s previous accomplishments and on the merit of the proposal for postdoctoral research as judged by the Peer Review Committee.

All U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the fellowship program with no geographic restriction on the laboratory of their choice. Foreign applicants are also eligible if studying in U.S. laboratories.

Now on to the best part of the program- the stipend. The fellowship award is $57,000 per year and is meant to be a minigrant. LSRF keeps $1000 for administrative expenses and passes the rest of the award to the fellow. The postdoc salary is on a sliding scale from the award. The salary scale begins at $43,000 for a first-year postdoctoral, $45,000 for a second year, and $47,000 thereafter. The postdoc fellow, not the advisor, controls expenditure of the remaining award. The additional money can be used for fringe benefits (up to $2,000/year), travel to the host institution, travel to visit the sponsor, and travel to the LSRF annual meeting. However, its main purpose is to support the fellow’s research expenses. As such, there is an option available to start an escrow fund with up to $5,000 per year withheld from the grant by LSRF. At the end of the fellowship, this escrow of withheld money will be given to the fellow as a one-time grant, if and when they assume a position at a nonprofit institution in the United States.

The deadline for application of the fellowship award is October 1st, giving plenty of time to prepare the application for next year.

For application information, visit the LSRF website at www.lsrf.org.

Good luck!

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20 Jan

The Best Careers for 2011

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Career Resource Center



The best jobs for 2011 were determined based on an evaluation by the career guidance website, CareerCast.com, which evaluated 200 professions across a wide variety of industries, skill levels and salary ranges. In order to evaluate each job, CareerCast used five core criteria: pay, outlook, work environment, stress and physical demands. It gathered data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Census Bureau, trade association studies, and other sources. The best jobs chosen are professions that provide the best overall experience for employees. A majority of the jobs that rank in the top 10 require proficiency in math, science, or technology, suggesting that the overall outlook for scientists is bright for hot jobs of the future.

And the results – The 10 best jobs for 2011 according to CareerCast.com are as follows:

1. Software engineer

A software engineer researches, designs, develops and maintains software systems along with hardware development for medical, scientific, and industrial purposes. This job requires computer knowledge, skill with numbers, and an ability to design and create software. A publisher at CareerCast stated “We are in a technological revolution right now, and there is heated demand for software engineers.” The profession is considered to have good pay, a positive hiring outlook, and low stress. Additionally, this job was pushed to number one based on the emerging web applications and cloud computing. Average income is $87,140.

2. Mathematician

A mathematician applies mathematical theories and formulas to teach or solve problems in a business, educational, or industry. Average income is $94,178.

3. Actuary

An actuary interprets statistics to determine probabilities of accidents, sickness, and death, and loss of property from theft and natural disasters. This job was number one on the list for 2010, but has declined to number three based on uncertainty regarding the insurance industry regulation. Average income is $87,204.

4. Statistician

A statistician tabulates, analyzes, and interprets the numeric results of experiments and surveys. Average income is $73,208.

5. Computer Systems Analyst

A computer systems analyst plans and develops computer systems for businesses and scientific institutions. Average income is $77,153.

6. Meteorologist

A meteorologist studies the physical characteristics, motions and processes of the earth’s atmosphere. Average income is $85,210.

7. Biologist

A biologist studies the relationship of plants and animals to their environment through research. Average income is $74,278.

8. Historian

A historian analyzes and records historical information from a specific era or according to a particular area of expertise. Average income is $63,208.

9. Audiologist

An audiologist diagnoses and treats hearing problems by attempting to discover the range, nature, and degree of hearing function. A publisher at CareerCast stated, “Alarge number of audiologists are hitting retirement age. Baby boomers, meanwhile, are reaching an age where their hearing starts to go. More patients and a demand for new professionals make audiology one of the best fields to go into in America.” Average income is $63,144.

10. Dental Hygienists

Dental hygienists assist dentists in diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of a group or private dental practice. Average income is $67,107.

To see the scores of each specific core criteria for the above mentioned professions, visit the article “The 10 Best Jobs of 2011” on CareerCast.com.  The article also lists professions/careers that job seekers should avoid by ranking the 10 Worst Jobs of 2011.

Source of picture:www.mycollegesandcareers.com

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06 Jan

The Elevator Speech!

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Career Resource Center


The “elevator pitch” or “elevator speech” can be any kind of short speech that sells an idea, promotes your business or markets you as an individual. It reflects the idea that it should be possible to deliver an elevator pitch in the time span of an elevator ride, or approximately thirty seconds to two minutes. It is a powerful marketing tool and is as useful, if not more, than a business card. A basic elevator speech includes who you are, what you do, what you are interested in doing, and how you can be a resource to your listeners. As such, it is important to gear the speech towards whom you will be speaking with. In the case of a job seeker, this would be the potential employer. A good elevator speech will captivate the audience so that they listen, remember, and respond to the speech.

For more tips on the elevator speech, I recently came upon an article at Forbes entitled “5 Tips for an Elevator Pitch that Gets Results” by Susan Gunelius. Susan is the President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, a marketing communications company. She also has authored multiple business books and has over 20 years experience in marketing.

Here are Susan’s five tips from the article:

1. It’s not about you.

Believe it or not, no one cares about you.  They want to know what you can do for them.  It’s the classic law of “What’s in it for me” that copywriters (myself included) follow to craft compelling and effective marketing messages that drive results.  Your elevator pitch should address your audience’s problems and offer solutions.  It should focus on the benefits that the audience will get from working with you, so they understand that they can’t live without you!

2. One size does not fit all.

It is essential that you modify your elevator pitch to match the person (or people) listening to it.  For example, you shouldn’t use the same elevator pitch with a hiring manager that you would with a prospective client or with a potential investor.  These are very different audiences who have very different needs from you.  Make sure your elevator pitch addresses those needs appropriately.

3. Leave out the fluff.

Keep it short and succinct.  Omit extraneous details that don’t directly affect your audience.  A cluttered elevator pitch is an ineffective elevator pitch.

4. Tell them what makes you better than the rest.

Don’t be afraid to tell your audience what makes you different from your competitors.  In other words, toot your own horn and explain exactly what you bring to the table that your competition does not.

5. Practice makes perfect.

No one will want to listen to your elevator pitch if it sounds like an elevator pitch.  In other words, practice your elevator pitch so you can deliver it in a conversational tone that does not sound like you’re reading a speech from cue cards.

Source: Forbes.com

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03 Jan

2011 Salary Raises to be Modest

Posted by: Career Staff  /  Category: Career Resource Center



While the economic recovery is anticipated to continue through 2011, salary increases are expected to be very conservative.

According to a survey by management consulting firm Hay Group, the median raise in salary budgets is expected to be 2.8% in 2011, only modestly higher than the median of 2.4% for 2010. While rates increased slightly from 2010, they are still quite low compared to the 4% yearly raises that marked 2005 to 2007. Additionally, the survey results showed that 4% of companies currently have or are considering salary cuts, 18% have or are considering pay freezes, and 17% have or are considering reducing retirement benefits.

While this may be dismal news overall, scientists are in the lucky boat. The energy and life-sciences industries are among the largest expected increases at 3.6% and 3.3% respectively. Increased economic certainty should help lead to more generous wage increases next year as well.

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