Check out Work Like Your Nail Color, Even if It's Nude

Click here: Work Like Your Nail Color, Even if It's Nude - Careers Articles

Filed under: Career Advice, Office Attire, Make an Impression, Just for Fun, Employment News & Trends Print Article

Posted Feb 22nd 2010 4:46PM

By Lisa Johnson Mandell

With all the negativity and depression clouding the working world these days, author/radio host Mary Foley thinks it's time to lighten up a little -- or at least to add a little color. She's been through all the ups and downs the economy has had to offer, and she chooses to look on the bright side, which is an inspiration to us all.

Freshly graduated from Virginia with a degree in engineering, Foley took an $8 an hour customer service rep job, "just to pay the bills." That was with the then-unknown AOL, and she moved up, up, up with the company, eventually heading up corporate training, then getting out of the company back when the getting was good.

Since then she's earned a master's degree in organization development from Pepperdine University and authored two books, including Bodacious! Woman: Outrageously in Charge of Your Life and Lovin' It, and Live Like Your Nail Color. She currently is the co-host of the fabulously friendly "Girlfriend We Gotta Talk" radio show, which is broadcast live in Richmond, VA, and can be found online at GirlfriendWeGottaTalk.com

For AOL DimeCrunch, Mary applied her colorful concepts to the working world:

What does your favorite nail color – or naked nails – reveal about you?

Your fingers (or toes) are really mini-indicators into your personality!

• If you usually have a French manicure, you are one classy, sophisticated and incredibly practical gal. Your nails are neatly manicured, without going to extremes, and the look goes with every outfit.
• Are you wearing mocha or a shade of brown? These earth tones mean you're a woman who is grounded, approachable and someone we can share our deepest thoughts with.
• How about pink? Pink is the quintessential girlie color, and one of the most popular colors for nails. If you choose a light to medium pink, you are friendly, happy and lighthearted. For those who prefer the wilder side of pink – aka, the hot pink and fuchsia tones – then you are known to be on the talkative, fun, and exciting side.
• Wild about red? Considered to be the wildest nail color of all, women who love red nails are usually leading the "Passionate About Life Parade" with their energy, enthusiasm, and confidence.
• And if your nails are naked? According to a recent survey, only about 35 percent of women paint both their fingers and toes, which means most women paint only one or the other, the most popular being their toes. There are a lot of reasons why women don't paint their nails; but one thing is true: having naked nails means you're willing to be your true, authentic self and show it to the world.

What does your nail color say about your career?

Because fingernails are always visible, they communicate more about your career than do toenails. Sixty-one percent of women surveyed have naked fingernails. It's considered by many that well-manicured naked nails are the mark of a confident, modern woman. However, naked does not mean neglected! Far too many women in business have ragged, bitten, unkempt nails that can communicate to co-workers or a potential employer nervousness, incompetence, and lack of confidence.

Then there are the gals who take the time to color their fingernails. Gals who wear a French manicure or mild nail color usually like their career and feel comfortable with how it's going. They literally look and feel polished! Gals who sport a brighter nail color are usually excited about their career and have found a personal sweet spot of success. Their confidence is high and they are willing to take more career risks because of it!

More Telling Features:

• Body Language
• Desk
• Handwriting
• Walk

You've said that becoming more comfortable with job change is "just a nail color away." How so?

Especially in today's nail-biting, roller coaster times, many women are gripped by fear. Questions such as 'What is going happen?', 'What will I do?', 'Will I be OK?' paralyze our hearts and minds. Stop biting your nails and give them a paint job! And when you do, use the following two rules for picking a polish to help you take the fear out of change, one nail color at a time.

• Rule No. 1: Always Pick a Different Nail Color: Don't reach for your favorite color. That's too safe and it's too easy to get stuck in a rut. You can make a slight color change or really go for it. For example, if you usually wear a French manicure, how about going fora light pink the next time? Or, perhaps a hot pink! You could really avoid the rut and go with a bright red or sparkling blue. If you love the new color, fabulous! If you can't stand it, take it off! Either way you took a risk and you lived through it. Trying on new nail colors is a warm-up for trying on bigger changes in your life.
• Rule No. 2: Always Make Sure Your Nail Color Has an Inspiring Name: There are so many great nail color names today that there's just no excuse for a name that's boring or that you don't love. The name of your nail color should make you laugh or inspire you. When you glance at your fingernails with Make Mamma Happy or know that your toes are poking out from your sandals with Wine Not, your nail color name is egging you on to crack a smile. A nail color name like Networking Queen can inspire you to keep meeting new people who may help you with your job search.

What do you do when you love the nail polish color, but the name is booooring? Make up a new one! It's only a sticker, for goodness sake. In fact, change it several times if you want. Always remember, these are your nails and this is your experience. Be in the driver's seat and enjoy the ride.

From Our Friends At AOL Personals:

• The Smell Test--Women Are Naturally Irresistible.
• The Hair Color That Gets The Most Action
• Female Body Type Men Most Prefer

Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award-winning multi-media journalist and author of Career Comeback--Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want. Learn more on LisaJohnsonMandell.com.

Tags: career, careeradvice, careerchange, careers, french manicure, FrenchManicure, nail polish, NailPolish, nails

Check out 211 is the Loneliest Number When Waiting for a Job

Click here: 211 is the Loneliest Number When Waiting for a Job - Careers Articles

the Loneliest Number When Waiting for a Job

Filed under: Employment News & Trends, Unemployment News Print Article

Posted Feb 18th 2010 2:47PM

By Lisa Johnson Mandell

The official average wait, from layoff to first day of a new job, has been increasing steadily for the last 10 months, and now clocks in at 211 days -- a whopping 30.2 weeks, or 7.5 months. That's the highest it's ever been since the Labor Department began keeping track, back in 1948. To the average American worker, that sounds like an awfully long time to go without gainful employment.

But don't despair! Instead, let that desolate number inspire you to get cracking ASAP, just as soon as the door closes behind you at your former place of employment. Don't wait for unemployment benefits to kick in -- you know they're only a fraction of what you were making before anyway. Prove that you can almost singlehandedly bring that ugly 211 number down, way down, by hitting the job-search ground running. All the best employment experts advise this.

The Best Time to Start Looking for a New Job

John Challenger, CEO of Challenger Gray & Christmas, a company that is hired to help employees adjust and find new positions after they've been released from a job, says one of the biggest mistakes people make when they get laid off is not starting their new job search fast enough. "Many people spend too much time trying to figure out what they want to do, and give up the time when they're most valuable to employers," he says. Challenger says that there are employers out there who are looking to snap up top employees as soon as they become available; but after a certain amount of time, they start wondering, "Why hasn't anyone else hired this person yet?"

So contrary to what you might think and feel, it's not a good idea to use your severance pay to take a long break and try to find yourself, or to finally write that novel. Many people reason that the job situation appears to be getting better, with unemployment down from 10 percent to 9.7 percent last month, and that the longer they wait, the better chance they'll have of finding a job.

Not so, my friend. According to some estimates, 11.5 million U.S. citizens are collecting some type of unemployment insurance right now, and it will run out for 1.2 million of them in March, when federal extensions are scheduled to expire. Time -- for them -- is literally running out. There's a chance that Congress could extend unemployment benefits, but who wants to sit around and wait for that to happen?

Don't Let the Screen Door Hit You

You should start revising your résumé and searching online job boards as soon as you get home with your pink slip. Don't allow yourself the luxury of getting depressed and lethargic. Many people register with a temp agency in their field, so they can fill in when someone is sick, make contacts, and get to know different sides of their industry. For teachers, this means signing up to substitute and/or with tutoring agencies. [See Temp Agency Reviews.]

For me personally, it meant signing on with entertainment temp agencies. Sure, it involved a lot of go-fering and Xeroxing and coffee running -- all chores I considered beneath my 42-year-old, college-educated self. But I didn't even have the luxury of severance pay or unemployment benefits, and when I finally landed my dream job as a Hollywood magazine teacherseditor, the insider contacts I'd made temping at studios and agencies came in very handy. And I was only out of a full-time job for six weeks. I didn't have time to lose my work momentum, get out of 9-5 shape, or get behind on my mortgage payments.

Don't let that long, 211-day wait get you down. Look at it as a challenge. Laugh in its face. The job market loves the proactive, and leaves those who wait in the dust.

• Don't Miss: 10 Companies Hiring Right Now

Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award-winning multi-media journalist and author of Career Comeback--Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want. Learn more on LisaJohnsonMandell.com.

Tags: jobs, jobsearch, severance, unemployment, unemployment benefits, unemployment rate, UnemploymentBenefits, UnemploymentRate

Check out Credit card rules change on Monday

Click here: Credit card rules change on Monday | The Columbus Dispatch

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Credit card rules change on Monday Law affects interest rates, those under 21 Sunday, February 21, 2010 12:58 AM By Dan Gearino THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Credit card changes Disclosure • Your credit-card company has to give you 45 days notice before it can increase your interest rate, change fees or make other significant changes to the terms of your card. And with notice of the changes, it must give you the option to cancel the card before the costs increase. If you take that option, however, the company may close your account and increase your monthly payment. • The credit card company does not have to send you a 45-day advance notice if: you have a variable interest rate tied to an index; your introductory rate expires and reverts to the previously disclosed rate; or you violate a payoff agreement. • In your monthly bill, your credit card company must tell you how long it will take to pay off your balance if you make only minimum payments and how much you would need to pay each month in order to pay off your balance in three years. Rates, fees and limits • Your credit card company cannot increase your interest rate for the first 12 months after you open an account. There are some exceptions, such as if your card has a variable interest rate tied to an index. In that case, your rate can go up whenever the index goes up. If there is an introductory rate, it must be in place for at least six months. Despite these rules, if you are more than 60 days late in paying your bill, your rate can go up. • Increased rates apply only to new charges. If your credit card company does raise your interest rate after the first year, the new rate will apply only to new charges you make. If you have a balance, your old interest rate will apply to that balance. Over-the-limit transactions • You must tell your card company if you want it to allow transactions that will take you over your credit limit. Otherwise, such a transaction would be turned down. If you do not opt in for over-the-limit transactions and your credit card company allows one to go through, it cannot charge you an over-the-limit fee. • If you allow over-the-limit transactions and go over, the company can impose only one fee per billing cycle. You can revoke your opt-in at any time. Caps on high-fee cards • If your credit card company requires you to pay fees (such as an annual fee or application fee), those fees cannot total more than 25 percent of the initial credit limit. But that doesn't apply to penalty fees, such as for late payments. Underage consumers • If you are younger than 21, you will need to show that you are able to make payments or you will need a co-signer to open a card. If you want to increase your credit limit, your co-signer must agree in writing. Billing and payments • Your credit card company must mail or deliver your credit card bill at least 21 days before your payment is due. In addition, your due date should be the same date each month. The payment cut-off time cannot be earlier than 5 p.m. on the due date. • If your payment due date is on a weekend or holiday, you will have until the following business day to pay. • If you make more than the minimum payment on your bill, your credit card company must apply the excess amount to the balance with the highest interest rate. There is an exception: If you made a purchase under a deferred interest plan (for example, "no interest if paid in full by March 2012"), the credit card company might let you choose to apply extra amounts to the deferred interest balance before other balances. Otherwise, for two billing cycles before the end of the deferred interest period, the credit card company must apply your entire payment to the deferred interest-rate balance first. • No two-cycle (double-cycle) billing. Credit card companies can impose interest charges only on balances in the current billing cycle. Source: Federal Reserve This time, the fine print contains some good news. Starting Monday, credit card issuers must follow a new federal law that places limits on interest-rate increases and certain fees. It's about time, said John Kesling, 48, of the Northeast Side, who thinks the credit card companies have had too much leeway for too long. "They hold all the cards," he said. "They can change the rules at their whim. The big print giveth and the little print taketh away, and there's a lot of fine print." Some of the most significant changes will be for young people: It won't be easy for them to get a credit card. Under the new law, anyone younger than 21 will need a co-signer. "For some students, it could be a barrier to building credit, while for others, it may save them from the woes of credit card debt," said Kate Trombitas, assistant director of the Student Wellness Center at Ohio State University. Consumer advocates are welcoming the law, while banks are warning that the new rules will bring unintended consequences, such as higher interest rates for people with good credit. The law, signed by President Barack Obama in May, includes these changes: • "Universal defaults" are banned. This means that if you miss a payment on one credit card, your other credit card companies can't raise your rates on their cards. • Retroactive rate increases are severely restricted. If your card issuer wants to raise the rate, the increase will apply only to new purchases. Also, if your interest rate has changed, any payment above the minimum payment is applied to the balance with the highest rate. • Fees for exceeding your credit limit are banned unless you give your credit card company permission to allow transactions that exceed the limit. Those are just a few of the provisions in this sweeping legislation, called the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act. "I definitely think it's needed," said Casey Parthemore, 30, of Clintonville. She said credit card companies "need to be reined in." She once had to pay several hundred dollars worth of fees on a small balance after she changed addresses and one of her credit card bills didn't get forwarded. Plenty of consumers see no need for more regulations. "I disagree fundamentally with legislating responsibility," said Ben Sharp, 24, of Victorian Village. He views the new rules as an encroachment by government on something that should be left to the credit card companies and consumers. Cardholders stand to save more than $10 billion per year. That's how much they are paying because of practices that will now be restricted, according to the Pew Safe Credit Cards Project, part of the Pew Charitable Trusts. Despite all of the changes, credit card companies still have no cap on interest rates and they still have wide latitude to make changes to accounts that have fallen behind on payments, said Leslie McFadden, credit card columnist for BankRate.com. "Some people have seen their rates go up to the penalty rate, and in some cases that's very high," she said. Many advocates say the law doesn't go far enough. At the same time, several trade groups are warning that the new law will do more harm than good. "When you remove or restrict the ability of card issuers to be flexible, to reflect the changes in individual customer risk, what you've done is take away a pricing mechanism," said Peter Garuccio, spokesman for the American Bankers Association. To make up for that loss, the companies will likely need to raise costs on the front end when cards are issued, in the form of higher interest rates, he said. College students aren't sure what to make of the changes. Now that anyone younger than 21 will need a co-signer, students' access to credit will be determined by whether their parents or other potential co-signers have good credit. "I think it will only worsen the problem," said George Moussi, 19, an Ohio State student. The problem, in this case, is that some students graduate with almost no credit history, which makes it difficult for them to get loans for cars or houses. Ohio State has banned credit card companies from soliciting on campus, though that limitation has merely meant that the solicitors set up shop across the street from campus. Trombitas, from the Student Wellness Center, oversees financial counseling for incoming students and for students who seek extra help. The university's alumni association has a contract with Bank of America to provide an Ohio State-themed card, but the contract prohibits direct solicitation of students, an OSU spokesman said. Lawmakers included the provisions for young people because of concerns that too many students were getting deep into credit card debt. And that is indeed a problem, said Billy Hallal, 21, an Ohio State student. "You go to college and you do some moronic things," he said. "A lot of young people don't know how to manage money." dgearino@dispatch.com

Check out Sears to Close Several Sears and Kmart Stores This Spring

Click here: Sears to Close Several Sears and Kmart Stores This Spring - DailyFinance

By MERCEDES CARDONA Posted 1:45 PM 02/22/10 Company News, JC Penney, Sears Holdings Corp., Wal-Mart Stores, Target Corp., Retail

Sears Holdings (SHLD) plans to close eight Sears stores and 13 Kmart stores in April and May, laying off hundreds of employees in the process.

Kimberly Freely, a spokeswoman for Sears Holdings, says the affected stores are located across the country and employ about 60 employees each. Many of the closings involve lease renewals, "but obviously performance is a factor," she says. "This is the normal course of business," Freely says. "We always evaluate our store portfolio."

Both Sears and Kmart are getting squeezed by aggressive competition during a time when shoppers are reluctant to open their wallets. Sears is up against two strong midprice department store rivals, JC Penney (JCP) and Kohl's (KSS), while Kmart is fighting off Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) and Target (TGT). Among the planned closings are four Sears Essentials stores, which had been the company's attempt to expand into big-box retail.

Department stores across the board have suffered during the recession, but Sears has felt more pain than most. If comments on this site are any indication, shoppers just don't seem to like the store experience. Sears has been trying to improve that experience, adding toy departments and redesigning the beauty departments with new displays and exclusive merchandise. Nevertheless, Sears same-store sales (sales among stores that have been open at least a year) were down 4.8% during the all-important holiday shopping period. Kmart fared better, netting a 5.3% increase in same-store sales over the holidays.

Getting Creative With In-House Brands

Despite slowing sales, Sears and Kmart still have a number of brands that are popular with shoppers. Parent company Sears Holdings has been trying to find new ways to capitalize on those brands, making deals to carry them outside its own stores. Over the past month, it has announced deals to franchise its Sears Auto Centers, license the Diehard name for a line of battery accessories to be sold at stores nationwide, and sell Craftsman tools at Ace Hardware stores beginning in May.

In January, the company provided a glimmer of hope when it raised its profit forecast for the year due to the better-than-expected sales at Kmart. But for the full year, sales at Sears stores are still likely to be lower, while Kmart sales are expected to come in flat.

Sears Holdings will report its year-end results tomorrow, and management has forecast that it will show profits in the fourth quarter, after two straight quarters of losses. Management told investors earnings will come in between $3.36 and $4.06 per share for the fourth quarter and between $1.61 and $2.29 per share for the year. Analysts expect of $3.54 for the fourth quarter, up 20.4% from the year-ago period, according to Thomson Reuters.

Check out Congress Leaving Unemployment Benefits Extension To The Last Minute

Click here: Congress Leaving Unemployment Benefits Extension To The Last Minute

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is paring back a jobs bill proposal unveiled earlier on Thursday by the Senate Finance Committee, dropping an extension of unemployment insurance and COBRA health insurance subsidies for laid-off workers. The Senate is taking a break next week, so that stuff will have to wait until the end of the month -- the last moment before the previous extension runs out.

"State agencies are going to start sending out letters next week letting people know that their benefits are going to expire," said Judy Conti, a lobbyist for the National Employment Law Project.

So, even though it's entirely likely that Congress will pass an extension before Feb. 28 -- barring another major blizzard -- some people will nevertheless receive letters telling them they're not eligible for the next "tier" of benefits.

Last year's stimulus bill provided up to 53 additional weeks of federally-funded unemployment benefits (broken into several tiers) and a 65 percent subsidy of COBRA health insurance. When those provisions expired at the end of December, Congress scrambled to extend them another three months. If they're allowed to expire at the end of the month, 1.2 million people will exhaust their unemployment benefits in March.

"I think it's disturbing because there are four tiers of emergency unemployment compensation benefits, and if you're on a given tier, you only have a few weeks if the program isn't extended... Individuals could look at running out of benefits in a week or several weeks," said Rich Hobbie, director of the National Association of State Workforce Agencies.

Aside from the anxiety the situation creates for the unemployed, Hobbie said it's a huge administrative burden for state agencies. Norm Isotalo, spokesman for the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency, said Congress's dithering does indeed make work for his office.

"February 28 is rapidly approaching and we still don't have any certainty if the ending date is going to be extended, so the agency is preparing to wind down the payments of extended federally-funded unemployment benefits," Isolato told HuffPost. "But on the other hand, we have to be ready to pull the plug on these wind-down efforts if Congress acts. It could be a lot of wind-down work that all may go for naught if Congress extends the deadline date for these programs. And of course we hope that they do."

Isotalo said that even if Congress interrupts his agency's wind-down work at the last second, unemployed Michiganders would not see an interruption of their unemployment checks.

NELP is frustrated that Congress insists on taking a piecemeal approach to extending the benefits (the extensions do not allow people to stay on unemployment insurance for longer than already provided by the stimulus bill -- they allow people who've been laid off more recently access to the same additional tiers of financial support given to people laid off last year). The piecemeal approach guarantees that every extension will happen at the last second.

"It will always be held victim to a blizzard, to partisan politics, a flood in the spring, elections in the fall," said Judy Conti of NELP, which would rather Congress extend benefits for a full year. "What's going on in Congress is an ever-changing game. The American people and communities surviving on these unemployment benefits can't be held victim to this process."

Check out Job losses cut off child support

Click here: Job losses cut off child support | Columbus Dispatch Politics


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Job losses cut off child support Payments in Ohio drop 20 percent in January Sunday, February 21, 2010 1:21 AM By Catherine Candisky THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

As the recession drags on, record numbers of Ohio parents can't afford their court-ordered child-support payments. The impact is astonishing: Statewide, child-support collections in January plunged 20 percent from the previous month, a drop of more than $27 million.

And state officials expect collections will sink even lower as unemployment benefits -- which many jobless parents now rely on to pay child support -- dry up.

In January, more than $13 million in child support statewide was withheld from unemployment checks.

"We're going to see collections plummet when unemployment benefits run out," said Susan Brown, director of the Franklin County Child Support Enforcement Agency.

"We could lose almost $1 million in payments a month," she added, referring to county statistics.

Without the financial support, Brown said, many children and their families will be forced to seek food stamps, welfare and other tax-funded services.

That could start happening soon. About 25,000 Ohioans will exhaust jobless benefits this week with thousands more falling off the rolls in coming weeks unless Congress approves another extension of federal jobless aid.

"It's a huge concern," said Jeff Aldridge, deputy director of the state office of child support. "If there is no further extension, those people will roll off unemployment and will have no money to make support payments."

Over the past year, continued job loss has caused a surge in the number of parents paying child support from an unemployment check instead of a paycheck.

In December, jobless benefits were used to pay more than $14 million in child support, a staggering 30 percent increase from the previous month.

It's a trend that is responsible in large part for the drop in collections overall, officials said.

When a noncustodial parent loses a job, he or she can petition to have the court-ordered support reduced.

A spike in requests for administrative reviews shows that many parents have done so.

In Franklin County, such requests jumped 40 percent in 2009 and reached an all-time monthly high of 345 in September. In December, the most-recent statistics available, 277 people sought to have their payments reduced.

"When parents lose their job, we ask them to come in and get a review and adjustment so they can get their child support lowered and don't build up arrearages," Brown said.

While child-support orders statewide grew by 16,000 last year, the total amount parents were ordered to pay dropped $3 million, an indication that parents are paying less.

Gary Harris, 28, of Hilliard, last week asked county officials to review his support orders. He's paid little or no support for his three children since he lost his job after being sidelined by a knee injury last spring.

"I just haven't been able to pay," Harris said. "I want to but, until I get another job, it's tough."

ccandisky@

dispatch.com

---

• Job loss pains one parent, who no longer can make support payments A4 • Unemployment toll may linger A5

Check out What To Do When Unemployment Runs Out

Click here: What To Do When Unemployment Runs Out - Where To Get Help When Your Unemployment Checks Run Out

What To Do When Unemployment Runs Out

Where to Get Help When Your Unemployment Checks Run Out

By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide

What can you do if your unemployment checks have run out, are about to run out, or, if you can't get by on unemployment benefits, which typically aren't enough to live on?

In addition to unemployment compensation, there are a variety of other resources available for individuals collecting unemployment, as well as for those who are out of unemployment benefits, and for their families.

Check for Updates on Unemployment Extensions
Additional Extended Unemployment Compensation benefits may be implemented. Check frequently for updates on possible federal unemployment extensions.

Government Assistance

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Each state has a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program (formerly called welfare). TANF can help with food stamps, financial assistance, training, and job searching. This directory, from About.com's Guide to Single Parents Jennifer Wolf, has contact information for every state.

Food Stamps
The federal Food Stamp Program, now called Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps low income families and individuals buy food.

Medicaid
Medicaid provides medical benefits to low income people who have no medical insurance or have inadequate medical insurance.

WIC
WIC stands for Women, Infants, and Children. WIC is a supplemental nutrition program administered by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Additional Federal Benefit Programs
Information on federal assistance programs from About.com Guide to US Government Info Robert Longley, including: HUD Public Housing Assistance Program, Dislocated and Laid Off Worker Program, Dislocated Worker Program, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and health insurance programs for uninsured children.

State and Local Social Services Offices
Click on the map to find state and local social services offices in your locations.

Non-Profit and Social Services Agencies

Free Job Search Help
How job seekers can identify free, or inexpensive, job search and career resources in their geographic areas.

Career OneStop Assistance
In addition to employment resources, the Career OneStop Centers provide information on local resources such as community organizations that may be able to offer support with utility bills and food costs.

2-1-1 Call Center
Call to find local assistance with training, employment, food pantries, affordable housing, and support groups.

Directory of Homeless Shelters
Homeless shelters throughout the United States from the National Coalition of the Homeless.

Food Banks
Directory of Food Banks, listed by state. Food banks offer meals or groceries, or both.

Libraries and Churches

Check with your local library and your church for information on job search support groups and other assistance for unemployed workers and their families.

Job Search Resources

Job searching can be a major issue when you've lost your Internet access and/or don't have a computer. However, you can job search online without having your own computer. If you can access a computer at a library, for example, you'll be able to check email, create, update and print resumes and cover letters, and apply for jobs.

• Free Email Accounts
• Online Resumes

Online Job Search Guide
These resources provide advice on how to write resumes, CVs, cover letters and other employment letters, where to look for jobs, how to conduct a job search, the best way to use networking and social media to job search, how to interview successfully and negotiate compensation, and how to research employment related benefits and legal matters.

Save Money

15 Ways To Save Money on the Web
When your financial situation is tough, it's good idea to learn new ways to save money. Here are tips on how to save money from About.com's Guide to Web Search, Wendy Boswell.

Share Your Unemployment Story<
Many of those who have shared their unemployment stories felt a little better just because they were able to explain the reality of being unemployed and, in some cases, losing everything. If you'd like, tell us about the job you lost, what it's like being unemployed, and what you might have learned while you're out of work. Also read stories from others who are unemployed.

What to Do When Unemployment Runs Out

• Share Your Advice
• Share Your Unemployment Story

Unemployment Benefits

• Unemployment Compensation
• Extended Unemployment
• When Unemployment Runs Out

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• Unemployment - Unemployment Compensation
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• How to Get Unemployment Benefits

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Check out GM will add 1,200 jobs at Lordstown

Click here: GM will add 1,200 jobs at Lordstown | The Columbus Dispatch

GM will add 1,200 jobs at Lordstown

Return of overnight shift to support production of Cruze

Tuesday, February 23, 2010 1:00 PM

Updated: Tuesday, February 23, 2010 01:56 PM

By Dan Gearino

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

General Motors will resume the overnight shift at its Lordstown assembly plant this summer, adding 1,200 jobs, the company said today.

Lordstown, located near Youngstown, will have a total of 4,500 workers, which is the plant's maximum capacity.

GM is making the move as it prepares to build the Chevrolet Cruze, a compact car, for the U.S. market. The Lordstown plant now produces the Chevrolet Cobalt, another compact car, and will be switching to the Cruze later this year.

Adding a third shift to build Cruze is an investment with impact far beyond General Motors, said Mark Reuss, president, GM North America, in a statement. "It's an investment in the long-term value of Lordstown and the prosperity of Ohio."

Gov. Ted Strickland joined GM executives to announce the move at the plant, before an audience of workers and union leaders.

"The chips were down but we never gave up," he said. "That grit and steely determination is why I love this valley and why I believe in Ohio."

It was barely nine months ago that GM filed for bankruptcy and announced a list of plant closings, including the metal-stamping plant near Mansfield. Lordstown survived that cut, but the plant was running below capacity, with only one shift.

"This plant is going to be here for a long time," said Ben Strickland, United Auto Workers shop chairman for the plant. "This is the future. This is the cornerstone of General Motors, and we are going to continue to drive it that way."

The Lordstown plant started in 1966 and it has produced about 14.3 million vehicles, almost all of them small cars such as the Chevrolet Vega and Cavalier.

"If GM, after many attempts, can build a competitive small car, then Lordstown is the key point player on that," said James Rubenstein, a Miami University professor who writes about the auto industry.

The Cruze will enter an increasingly competitive segment, including the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Ford Focus.

GM has spent $500 million to develop the Cruze, including $350 million in Lordstown. The vehicle will be produced and sold worldwide, with Lordstown handling production for the U.S. market. The model has already gone on sale in some foreign markets.

Cruze is already a hit in Europe and Asia, and it is designed to challenge the status quo in America, said Jim Campbell, general manager of Chevrolet.

dgearino@dispatch.com

Check out Unemployment Extension - Extended Unemployment Benefits

Click here: Unemployment Extension - Extended Unemployment Benefits

Unemployment Extension

Extended Unemployment Benefits

By Alison Doyle, About.com Guide

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Feb 26 2010

Unemployment Extension Legislation Update

February 25 Update: The House has voted to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA subsidies for 30 days. The bill passed on a voice vote today and was sent to the Senate,

The extension was not approved in the Senate. Republican Senator Jim Bunning, Kentucky blocked the extension saying that the $10 billion bill would add to the budget deficit. If a vote is needed to override his objections that probably will not happen until next week. The current extended unemployment benefits program will expire on February 28.

If an extension isn't passed, unemployed workers would continue getting 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits and would complete the tier of extended benefits they are on, but would not be eligible for additional extended benefits or to move to a new tier.

Here's information on what to do when your unemployment checks run out and where unemployed workers can get assistance when they are out or about to run out of benefits.

If you're out of work, please add your story to our collection:

• Share Your Unemployment Story
• Read Unemployed Worker Stories

February 23 Update: There are reports that the Senate is discussing proposals for a 30 day, 10 month, or a full year of extended unemployment benefits. This would continue the extended unemployment benefits program which will expire on February 28.

February 1 Update: The current unemployment extensions are set to expire on February 28. The Senate and House Jobs Bills may include an extension, but they have not been finalized. It's important to let your Senator know that continued extensions are critical. Here's how to contact the Senate (from the National Employment Law Project):
Contact the Senate

January 20 Update: The National Employment Law Project is urging Congress to continue the extended unemployment benefits program, including full federal funding of Extended Benefits, the $25 per week in Federal Additional Compensation, and the 65% 15-month COBRA subsidy through the end of 2010.

December 22 Update: President Obama has signed legislation extending unemployment benefits, including extended unemployment benefits and the COBRA subsidy, that were set to expire at the end of the year through February.

Eligiblity depends your tier of benefits plus state guidelines, so when the legislation is passed, check with your State Unemployment Office website for details on who qualifies and when and how benefits will be paid.

December 19 Update: The Senate has passed a two-month extension of unemployment benefits through February 28, 2010. The legislation, already approved by the House. continues the Extended Benefits Program, the Federal Additional Compensation (extra $25 per week) and the COBRA subsidy. President Obama is expected to sign the legislation.

December 18 Update: The House has passed a two-month extension of unemployment benefits through the end of February. The new legislation continues the Extended Benefits Program, the Federal Additional Compensation.

November 18 Update: There has been quite a bit of confusion about the new unemployment extension, which provides for additional weeks of benefits for workers who run out of unemployment by the end of the year. Part of the reason is that the new legislation changed the exisiting tiers of benefits. Here's clarification on the new unemployment extension.

November 6 Update: President Obama has signed the unemployment extension legislation. Check with your state unemployment office for details on when payments will start being made. The extension provides for 14 weeks of extended benefit coverage for every state and an additional 6 weeks, for a total of 20 weeks, in high unemployment states where unemployment is over 8.5%.

October 28 Update: The Senate is moving closer to voting to extend unemployment insurance. The Senate agreed on an 87-13 procedural vote. However, the legislation is being negotiated in the Senate and may not be voted on until next week.

The National Employment Law Project has clarified who would be covered by the extension:
If you have exhausted your full range of federally funded benefits before the passage of this bill, you WILL be eligible for these additional weeks... However, in another important aspect, the bill is NOT retroactive. You will not receive a lump sum payment dating back to the time when you exhausted benefits. The benefits will only be paid going forward.

State Extended Benefits

Extended Unemployment Benefits are available to workers who have exhausted regular unemployment insurance benefits during periods of high unemployment. There are triggers (calculations based on the state unemployment rate) that determine when a State will extend benefits.

The basic Extended Benefits program provides up to 13 additional weeks of benefits when a State is experiencing high unemployment. Some States have also enacted a voluntary program to pay up to 7 additional weeks (20 weeks maximum) of Extended Benefits during periods of extremely high unemployment.

Amount of Benefits

The weekly benefit amount of Extended Benefits is the same as the individual received for regular unemployment compensation. The total amount of Extended Benefits that an individual could receive may be fewer than 13 weeks or fewer than 20 weeks.

How to Collect Extended Benefits

When a State begins an Extended Benefit period, it notifies those who have received all of their regular benefits that they may be eligible for Extended Benefits. You may contact the State Unemployment Insurance agency to ask whether Extended Benefits are available.

Check with your State Unemployment Office for information on what benefits you are entitled to.

DISCLAIMER:
The private web sites, and the information linked to both on and from this site, is opinion and information. While I have made every effort to link accurate and complete information, I cannot guarantee it is correct. Please seek legal assistance, or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct. This information is not legal advice and is for guidance only.

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Check out First-time jobless claims fall more than expected

Click here: First-time jobless claims fall more than expected | The Columbus Dispatch

First-time jobless claims fall more than expected

Thursday, February 11, 2010 8:59 AM

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of newly laid-off workers seeking unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week to the lowest total in a month as states cleared out administrative delays left over from the Christmas holidays.

The Labor Department said that first-time claims for unemployment insurance dropped by 43,000 to a seasonally adjusted 440,000. Wall Street economists expected a smaller decline of 15,000, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.

A Labor Department analyst said the decline largely reflects the end of administrative backlogs in California and other states that had elevated claims in the previous three weeks.

The winter storms that have pounded the Mid-Atlantic took place after last week's claims were filed, the analyst said. If they have an effect, it won't be evident until next week's data.

The four-week average fell by 1,000 to 468,500, the first drop after three weeks of increases.

Claims are now close to the low levels they reached in late December, when claims dropped to their lowest point in nearly 18 months. That is likely to raise hopes that the job market is improving.

The number of people claiming benefits for more than a week, meanwhile fell by nearly 80,000 to 4.5 million. That was a steeper decline than expected.

Check out NBC 4 & Shred-It Team Up To Shred & Recycle

Click here: NBC 4 & Shred-It Team Up To Shred & Recycle | NBC4i.com

NBC 4 & Shred-It Team Up To Shred & Recycle

By Denise Yost | Multimedia Content Manager, nbc4i.com
Published: August 17, 2009
Updated: February 10, 2010

» 0 Comments | Post a Comment

2
votesBuzz up!

COLUMBUS, Ohio—For the 6th year, NBC 4 and Shred-It Mobile Shredding & Recycling, will provide free document shredding to the public at NBC 4 Shred-it Day on Saturday, May 1 from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. Shred-it Mobile will shred documents at the Jerome Schottenstein Center’s Scarlet Parking lot located at the corner of West Lane Avenue and Olentangy River Road on The Ohio State University Campus.

New rules will be enforced at this event. A maximum of five boxes will be accepted. Each box should be a size that a person of average strength can lift and carry. If the consumer can’t easily pick it up, event volunteers won’t be able to do it either. To prevent sensitive documents from spilling out and blowing away, bags or open boxes will not be accepted. This event is for private consumers only, no businesses please.

Donations will be accepted for Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Since the first NBC 4 Shred-It Day in 2004, 1,133 tons of personal documents have been shredded and recycled and $39,300 has been raised for Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Attendees are asked to follow these policies: a maximum of five boxes per household. Each box should be a size that a person of average strength can lift and carry. If a consumer can’t easily pick it up, a volunteer won’t be able to do it either. To prevent sensitive documents from spilling out and blowing away we will not accept bags or open boxes. This event is for private consumers only, no businesses please.

OPPORTUNITY TO SHRED:
- Financial and legal documents
- Receipts
- Tax & medical records
- Floppy disks and CDs
- VHS cassettes

Frequently Asked Questions about NBC 4’s Shred-It Day:

If it rains, will the event be canceled?
No, it’ll happen RAIN or SHINE.

Is there a charge for parking?
No, parking is FREE.

Do I have to remove staples, paper clips, etc?
No, but you should take paperwork out of binders and notebooks. You can keep paperwork in boxes and shred that as well.

Do I need to sort out the paper?
No, Shred-It Mobile Paper Shredding and Recycling’s bonded and professional employees are trained to quickly and accurately process and shred the material.

What can be shredded?
Financial and legal documents, receipts, tax and medical records, plus floppy disks, CD’s and VHS cassettes can all be shredded.

Is there a limit?
Yes, no more than five standard-size boxes will be accepted. No open boxes, paper or plastic bags will be accepted.

Can my business bring paper to shred?
No, this is for consumers only.

What happens after the paper has been shredded?
The destroyed documents, in the form of confetti-sized pieces, are transferred to a recycling facility, where they return to the marketplace in the form of items such as recycled household paper products.

Can I pull directly up to the shredding trucks?
No, for the safety and security of attendees we ask that you drop off your items to be shredded. NBC 4 volunteers will be on hand to help you unload with dollies and carts.

Is there a charge for this service?
No, NBC 4 and Shred-It Mobile Shredding offer this as a FREE service to the community.

This is a consumer only event. No businesses or organizations can participate. Shred-It Mobile Shredding and Recycling uses shredders that utilize a crosscut shredding process, creating a crisscross cut of paper. These crisscross paper pieces are no larger than 5/8” in size, which provides for a greater security than conventional strip-cut shredders. 100% of all shredded documents are recycled.

Since the first NBC 4 Shred-It Day 1,058 tons of personal documents have been shredded and recycled and $35,700 has been raised for Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

For additional information, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com—Where Accuracy Matters.
To submit a story idea or news tip, e-mail .
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Check out Target to Demote 8,000? Ouch!

Click here: Target to Demote 8,000? Ouch! - Careers Articles

Target to Demote 8,000? Ouch!

Filed under: Employment News & Trends, Employment News by Company Print Article

Posted Feb 4th 2010 5:00PM

By Lisa Johnson Mandell

In an apparent effort to reduce the expense of health care and other employee benefits, a Target employee reports that he has just been informed that Target will down-grade as many as 8,000 employees from full-time to part-time. He is one of those full-time Specialists and Team Leaders who are being demoted.

The employee, who goes by "Michael," wrote an extensive missive to The Consumerist, stating that Specialist and Team Lead positions are being eliminated in all Target stores over the next several months. Those who hold those positions will be demoted to part-time status, being assigned under 32-hours per week and paid on a lesser, hourly basis. Target representatives dispute Michael's reports

Michael also claims that many of these full-timers will be expected to train the part-timers to do their core jobs, before they are demoted. Some speculate that they will be so angry about this that they will quit, and entry level employees can be hired to replace the higher paid workers.

For the Target shopper, this could mean less experienced and knowledgeable customer service. Those familiar with Circuit City's demise note that the same tactics were attempted with Circuit City employees in order to save a buck, but shoppers became frustrated by the lack of customer service and expertise and began buying elsewhere. It took less than a year for Circuit City to declare bankruptcy after that move.

"If this is true, I'm going to vote with my wallet," said one Target shopper in a comment on the Consumerist post. "If you are going to no longer treat your employees decently, I'm no longer going to patronize your company. Since I currently spend $300+ per month at Target (in order to avoid giving any business at all to Walmart), I guess that $3,600+ a year is now going to be going to CostCo."

However, Target officials beg to differ. A concerned email to Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel (Gregg.Steinhafel@target.com) reported the following:

"This simply isn't true. A false and malicious rumor is being spread by a misleading article in TheConsumerist.com. We have not cut pay, hours or benefits. We continue to build new stores and add new jobs although fewer than in the past. Thanks."

A Target spokesperson explained the changes this way:

"Each year we review our store operations and structure, which allows us to continually improve our guest service and productivity. We made minimal changes to our structure this year – they affect less than 5 percent of our hourly store team member base. Overall, the changes affected team members will experience include shifts in title or responsibility (for example - a sales specialist - shoes, could be retitled merchandising brand manager), and none of these team members will see a change in their current pay, the number of hours they work or their eligibility for benefits."

Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award-winning multi-media journalist and author of Career Comeback--Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want. Learn more on LisaJohnsonMandell.com..

Tags: benefits, circuit city, CircuitCity, costco, part-time, target

Check out NBC Hiring: 43,000 Hollywood Dreams Could Come True

Click here: NBC Hiring: 43,000 Hollywood Dreams Could Come True - Careers Articles

NBC Hiring: 43,000 Hollywood Dreams Could Come True

Filed under: Employment News & Trends, Employment News by Company, Unemployment Solutions Print Article

Posted Feb 2nd 2010 10:41AM

By Lisa Johnson Mandell

When I get an information packet in the mail that says up to 43,000 new entertainment industry-oriented jobs are about to be created, I sit up and take notice. It's all supposed to happen practically in my backyard, Universal City, California, thanks to NBC Universal. It takes away a bit of the sting from the recent announcement of up to 1,000 layoffs that the City of Los Angeles could potentially have up its sleeve.

According to information sent out to local residents shortly after President Obama announced his jobs bill, the NBC Universal Evolution Plan will provide 31,000 new jobs during the construction period and an additional 12,00 new, ongoing full and part time jobs in the city of Los Angeles and the surrounding county. The plan includes the construction of 2,900 lofts, town homes, apartments and condominiums on 124 acres, with 35 of those acres being devoted to open space. And it promises to make Universal Studios the largest working studio in the world by updating production facilities with new high-tech sound stages, outdoor sets, modern office space and new post production facilities.

And get this: it's not supposed to cost us tax payers a thing. In fact, developers claim it will increase our city and state tax base by about $26 million.

"But what about the impact on the environment?" many locals ask. Well, the NBC Universal plan calls for an investment of $100 million to accelerate local and regional transit improvements and to work with Caltrans to improve speeds and traffic along that nasty five mile stretch of the 101 where the project is located. In the complex itself, there will be shuttles, flex cars, bikes and foot traffic to work. They promise a comprehensive recycling program, reclaimed water usage, plus smart design that involves the latest in wise energy and environmental practices.

Of course, this is not a done deal yet. There are still to be public hearings. And there is no mention of how the recent acquisition of of NBC Universal by Comcast will affect these plans, which were obviously designed well before the merger was ever conceived. On the NBC Universal Evolution site it says, "as we are very early in the review and approval process, it will be at least two years before any project-related employment opportunities are available. This is true for both direct hiring and vendor contracting opportunities. In the meantime, we encourage you to visit nbcunicareers.com to learn about current openings at NBC Universal." So it's probably not a good idea to pack up and move to California just yet.

And if you do get a job there, there's no telling exactly how long it will last. The website also states, "the NBC Universal Evolution Plan is a long-term blueprint for the success of NBC Universal and will be developed in stages based on business needs and market conditions. The project is at the beginning stage of a comprehensive environmental and public review process, which will include public hearings by the City and County of Los Angeles."

Still, there's room for hope. With public sentiment in favor of anything that creates new job opportunities, I expect the public review and approval process to be fast tracked. With any luck, thousands more workers will be kicking back on Sundays, sipping fresh-squeezed orange juice and enjoying the California sunshine within the next year or so. Hopefully that's not just a Hollywood pipe dream.

Lisa Johnson Mandell is an award-winning multi-media journalist and author of Career Comeback--Repackage Yourself to Get the Job You Want. Learn more on LisaJohnsonMandell.com.

Tags: hollywood, los angeles, LosAngeles, nbc universal, NbcUniversal, universal studios, UniversalStudios