plus 1, How to Kick-Start Your Career as the Job Market Rebounds - Forbes (blog)

How to Kick-Start Your Career as the Job Market Rebounds - Forbes (blog)

Posted: 21 Jan 2011 07:22 AM PST

It was just reported by Crain's New York Business that for the first time in 19 months, the jobless rate in New York City has fallen below 9 percent (granted, it was at 8.9% for December 2010 but still…) and the national rate was at 9.4%, the lowest it's been in many months. While this is still not what we'd like the figure to be and the decrease may be due to some folks coming off unemployment, it also could indicate a slow recovery and a job market that's opening back up again.

With the new year up and running, it's vital that the unemployed, underemployed and unhappily employed take stock of where they are and make a plan for their career future. Whether you need a job or are in one but looking to make a move, now is the time to get going. Here are a few ways to kick-start your job search for 2011:

1. Widen your circle. Make it a goal to develop 3-5 new contacts a week, whether in person or online. Ask friends and colleagues to connect your with their friends and colleagues. Offer to buy someone a coffee or cocktail to chat with them about opportunities and get their advice. Reach out to folks in your industry or at the company you'd like to work at through social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. By the end of the first quarter, you'll have at least 20-25 new contacts that could possibly help you land your next position.

2. Attend industry events. As companies start to recruit again, you want to be where they are. If possible, show up at career fairs, conferences (budget permitting) and networking events that could expose you to potential employers. Join professional organizations that host panels, get-togethers and workshops that will allow you to meet key people and learn more about your particular industry or the skills you need to develop in order to move up in your career.

3. Take part-time work. If you can't get a full-time job or are thinking about switching careers in a tough job market, look into opportunities to freelance or moonlight. It's less expensive and less of a commitment for a company to hire independent contractors because it saves them the high costs of benefits and insurance they typically provide for full-time staffers. If you can get hired for a project or on a freelance basis and are able to prove your value, when a full-time position opens up, you'll be the first person they'll think of to fill it.

4. Stay positive. More than half of employers recently surveyed by CareerBuilder said they were in a better financial position today than they were a year ago, which means that as the economy begins to rebound, new job opportunities will become available for talented, resourceful people who are pounding the pavement and taking steps to stand out from the competition. It takes work and focus but, while success can be a process, it's worth the wait if you can score a great position.

What's your career plan for 2011? Share with my Be Your Own Best Publicist co-author and fellow Forbes blogger Meryl Weinsaft Cooper and me here, on Facebook or Twitter.

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Kings GM Says Call Went Against His Team Because NHL Executive Wanted His Job - The Business Insider

Posted: 21 Jan 2011 06:03 AM PST

In the second period of last night's Los Angeles Kings/ Phoenix Coyotes game, Phoenix center Martin Hanzal batted a puck out of mid-air with his stick to give the Coyotes a 1-0 lead.

It was difficult for the on-ice officials to tell if Hanzal had hit the puck above the crossbar (which would have resulted in a disallowed goal) so the play went to video review. After a lengthy look at the league headquarters in Toronto, the goal counted, and Phoenix eventually skated off with a 2-0 win.

Kings GM Dean Lombardi was not happy, to say the least, that the call went against his floundering team, which has now lost three straight and is 2-10-0 in its last 12 games. The Kings dropped to 12th place in the Western Conference after most thought they were poised to be a major contender this season.

Lombardi took his frustrations out in a postgame interview, where he indicated that Mike Murphy, the NHL's senior vice president of hockey operations, was responsible for the call against the Kings because he was bitter about losing out on the Kings general manager position to Lombardi:

"When the guy in Toronto making the decisions on the goals, in Ottawa and the one tonight, wanted the G.M.'s job in L.A. and was not happy about not getting it, you have to assume you are going to get those type of calls,'' Lombardi said. "However, we have put ourselves in a position where these calls have a monumental effect on our season, and we're going to have to find a way out of it ourselves.''

It might be true that Murphy wanted Lombardi's job, but this claim is based on no evidence and is an outrageous accusation by a general manager searching for answers.

Kings Coach Terry Murray was equally angry about the call.

"I don't know why we have video replay in the National Hockey League,'' Murray said. "That's all I can say. If the replay is there for review of goals and non-goals… I don't know. You've got a guy who gets credit for the goal. He's 6-foot-6, and the stick is up above his head. Matt Greene is 6-3, and he's batting the puck down his his hand beside his ear, and the net is four feet high. It doesn't add up. It makes no sense. No sense. How does it get called on the ice a goal, first of all, and then how does the replay hold it up? I don't know. I don't have an answer.''

Maybe the goal should have been disallowed, but every team faces rotten luck from time to time and Lombardi and Murray's frustration with their team's play deserves most of the blame for their outbursts.

It seems almost certain that Lombardi and the Kings will be handed hefty fines after the NHL investigates the matter today.

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