A job is created

"A job is created when the skills of a worker
meets
the needs of an employer"

"skills and needs"
"Supply and Demand"

Caroline Baum

I recently read this quote in a very well respected business periodical. As an individual that works with employers and jobseekers on a daily basis I, like most people, follow the logic that a job opening is created by a business/employer when they have a need for a service. I never thought that many times an individual has the capacity to create a job for themselves by simply pointing out to a business/employer the reasons as to why that business/employer’s organization is lacking and therefore needs the particular skills that the individual possesses.

This line of thought leads me to the point of this posting. If you are reading this, look in the mirror, ask yourself; do I have the type of skills that allows me to make the case to a business/employer as to why that employer needs my particular skills? Could I, by way of the skills I possess, make the case to a business/employer to hire me? Are my current skills dated or ubiquitous? Are my particular skills somewhat unique and therefore valuable?

Mirror man Photo www.designboom.com

By Ted Y.

Seeing what leading businesses in the region are doing

This week Playtex Manufacturing Inc. did something that many other companies have discarded during the "slightly-post-downturn" times: They spent money on employee training – and not just a few thousand dollars – they spent more than $300K!

It is incredible to see Playtex charge forward at a time when some many other businesses are sitting at the sidelines, discussing economic doom and gloom – like the much dreaded double-dip recession.

The training included: safety awareness, OSHA training, problem solving, time management, interpersonal dynamics, coaching, and “play to win” – a proprietary course that brings participants outdoors to participate in a variety of team-building exercises. On the pictures: two employees very high above the ground walking across a plank. Their only safe way to get back to the ground: their work colleagues.

So, as jobseekers, why should we care? Let’s pay close attention to the hidden message to find out why.

I think it would be safe to assume that the Playtex executives didn’t just wake up one day and said, “WOOO HOOO! Let’s blow $300K on training!” Chances are that the allocation of those training funds was the result of a meticulous analysis. Their experts probably studied the impact that training would have on their operational costs and the bottom line. If these assumptions are correct then it would be rational to say that Playtex has a positive outlook of the future.

Back to us – job seekers. Hearing that a major local company has a positive outlook for the future is great news. Even if we don’t seek employment with them, we should be excited. The reason: Economies tend to move with a snowball effect. When one business does well, then all the other supporting businesses also do well. Business doing well = more jobs!

Keep an eye on the local businesses that are incurring in these kinds of programs; you might just stumble upon your next job.

Interview Questions

Several times a week, job seekers will ask me if questions an potential employer asked them during an interview were legal. This is a great article that discusses just that.

Eight Questions an Potential Employer Can't Ask

Through music, we can escape.

Music's healing power!

So many of us day after day do nothing more than worry ourselves to exhaustion. Worry about bills. Worry about our children. Worry how long before we get employed. Although, we all know that worrying won't help ease the situation before us, we still continue to worry. Always remember that no matter how bad or how endless our troubles may seem, there is always a brand new day tomorrow.

So what exactly am I trying to get at? Well, I can tell you that when things may seem hopeless for me or when it seems that nothing ever goes right, I turn to music. Music calms my soul. Music takes me away, although temporarily, to a better place. It helps me realize that no matter how bad it may seem, things will always get better.

For me, Bob Marley's Three Little Birds, is that song that makes me smile. I can have all the troubles or the weight of the world on my shoulders, but when I hear Mr. Marley sing, " Don't worry about a thing. 'Cause every little thing gonna be all right" all my troubles are gone. For those 4 minutes, I am relaxed and free of all my worries.

No matter how long or short, find that special song or album that takes you away.

Three Little Birds Lyrics http://www.metrolyrics.com/three-little-birds-lyrics-bob-marley.html

7 Easy Steps to Date Your Resume

No, this is not about how to take your résumé out to dinner and a movie. It is about the most common ways ones résumé can make you seem out of the loop. We live in a fast-paced world and have to represent yourself as being up-to-date or risk being left out in the cold. To read the article about the 7 most common ways people date their résumé, click here.

Helpful Tips for Coping with Feeling Overwhelmed

Good Monday morning! It’s Lori Stone, CBE’s director of business operations and communications. The past few weeks have felt a bit hectic for me, so I thought they may be for our readers as well.

I found some tips to help us all get a better handle on our tasks at hand. However, you first have to promise me you’ll listen to this song following the link below and get a bit silly. No joke! This song sounds so frenzied to me and I listen to it to put myself in check when I feel I’m getting on the “out of control ride.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHUn274yYNw&p=6D983424F10EAE5D&playnext=1&index=15

Now that you are in a more relaxed frame of mind, check out these helpful tips for coping with being overwhelmed. Perhaps, today won’t be a “manic Monday” for you after all!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Feeling-Overwhelmed?-Success-Tips-For-Coping-With-Being-Overwhelmed&id=3568029

Local Employer Invests in Employees

The Center for Business Excellence (CBE) is awarding $30,000 to Playtex Manufacturing Inc. to assist the company in its training program for workers currently employed at its Ormond Beach plant, which manufactures sun care products under the Hawaiian Tropic and Banana Boat brand names.

More than 100 Playtex employees will be able to improve their skill levels in computers, on-the-job training, safety awareness, problem solving, time management, interpersonal dynamics and environmental awareness compliance through this program.

The non-profit Center for Business Excellence is the premier organization for employment and training solutions to businesses and the workforce of Volusia and Flagler Counties.
“This is great for the company, and for the area,” said Rick Fraser, president of CBE. “The company is investing a lot in these employees.”

Playtex Manufacturing is a subsidiary of Energizer Holdings, Inc. and is one of the largest manufacturers of sun care products in the United States, producing products under both the Banana Boat and Hawaiian Tropic brand names.