Internet Job Postings On The Rise.

Looking for more positive signs of the job market opening up? Check out this past Saturday's New York Times article on the increase of online job postings. According to the report, job postings rose more than 50 percent in 2010 over Web postings in the year 2009. The folks at Simply Hired, the primary source of information for the Times article, point to this upswing as a reason for optimism. 

Certain industries currently offer more promise than others. Surprisingly, manufacturing job postings were up 94% in December 2010 as compared with December 2009. Other sectors with higher postings include automotive, transportation-related, legal and financial services industries. There also appears to be good news for techies: web postings have skyrocketed for jobs containing keywords like HTML5, Mobile App, Android, Twitter, jQuery, and cloud computing (see WSJ story here).

Geographically, some of the best regions for finding a job are Washington, DC; West Palm Beach, FL; Baltimore; Boston; Milwaukee; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Oklahoma City; San Francisco Bay Area; and Denver.

If these industries or regions are not your first choice, you might consider becoming a bit more flexible in your search. You also might re-evaluate your skills to determine how you can capitalize on those growing job markets. Your goal always is to optimize your chances of getting your job.

Weekly Unemployment Claims Down.

The weekly U.S. Department of Labor release of the number of individuals filing for unemployment for the first time came out this morning as, seemingly, another hopeful sign of continued economic growth. For the first two weeks of 2011, the Labor Department's reports have shown and increase in jobless claims, even though the overall unemployment rate has decreased. This morning's release indicates 404,000 American workers filed claims last week, a decline of 37,000 from the prior week's numbers.

We like to accentuate the positive. These latest numbers appear to point an expanding U.S. labor market. Good news helps to fuel good feelings about finding the right job in this market. Go to it.

Unemployment Rate Down, Job Creation Up, Some.

The last of this week's jobs numbers came out from the U.S. Department of Labor today: Non-farm payrolls increased 103,000 in December (a figure that is lower than economists' forecasts). However, through some statistical magic that we won't attempt to reconcile, the unemployment rate has dropped to 9.4%, down from 9.8% in November. The experts seem to be saying that despite the mixed picture painted by today's numbers, there is an overall positive, though modest, trend of job creation and Americans feel more confident about the job market.

We maintain our cautious optimism regarding these kinds of numbers. Still, we say some of the more critical factors to successfully finding employment are your mindset, your focus and your determination. Use these positive economic trends as simply another tool to help you maintain a positive attitude during the job search. But, ultimately, whatever the numbers are, make the decision that you can and will get your job.

We will continue to note this kind of economic news, but we also will continue to provide what we hope are helpful tips, techniques, research, tools, etc., for getting that next job.

New Year, New Decade, New Opportunities.

First, a reminder: Be sure to send off those New Year's messages to family, friends and professional contacts before the week ends. This is a wonderful time of year to "just stay in touch" with individuals who could help with your critical search. 

Now for the fun part: Think about the great opportunities coming up in 2011, and in this second decade of the not-so-new millennium! Capitalize on all of that New Year positive energy in the air and create or fine-tune your 1-year, 5-year and 10-year career plans. During this next year, when you get your job, begin to work at your job and see the path for growth in your job and other jobs, remember the unlimited nature of your potential. Your search for employment is just the beginning for harnessing your thoughts to create the career, indeed, create the life, you desire and deserve. Get excited about the New Year. See the opportunities other people miss. Act quickly and wisely on the chances that come your way. Go Get Your Job!

Happy New Year.