Slowly but surely, more jobs are opening up on the Cape and throughout the Northeast.
Among them, and especially welcome, are a number of solid, well-paid positions. Just scan the help wanted classifieds in this or any other newspaper, or check the help wanted ads online.
In recent editions, our classifieds included openings for auto technicians, nurses, masons, cooks, a vessel operator “to assist handling & navigation duties aboard private twin screw vessel,” sales personnel, a construction superintendent, administrators, oil-burner and air-conditioning technicians, teachers and accountants.
So there are decent jobs out there, and more are coming for those applicants who prepare themselves with the necessary qualifications.
We know the number of job openings now available falls short of the need. And we know the pace of new jobs coming on line is still painfully slow. But we also see indications that recovery has begun and that the momentum will pick up.
Executives, economists and headhunters say employment is starting to strengthen in the financial sector.
“I think we’re seeing some hiring in anticipation of better times,” said Rae Rosen, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. “Wall Street typically hires in anticipation of the recovery, and there is a sense that the economy has bottomed out and is slowly improving.”
So if you are in the job market, or soon will be, do your best to prepare for work.
It begins with attitude. We all know that for many jobs a certain level of education or experience may be required. But never underestimate attitude. Savvy employers want to hire people who are consistently willing to dig in and do the best job they can. Practice that in everything you do.
Education, always a key factor in all aspects of employment, is increasingly more important. It’s almost always true: The higher your education level, the quicker you will be hired, the more you will be paid and the quicker you will advance.
But it is not always true. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce reports that thorough training in a trade, or just a couple of years of college, can sometimes be just as valuable as a four-year bachelor’s degree when it comes to income and career advancement. That’s where your attitude, skills, experience and smarts make the difference.
Still, in the same report the Georgetown University center forecast that within eight years 63 percent of all jobs will require at least some college education.
And there is plenty of proof that in most cases the more education you can get, the better off you will be.
According to 2009 nationwide figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly earnings of a college graduate amounted to $1,025 while high school graduates earned $626 and high school dropouts pulled in only $454. Remember, the data take in major metropolitan areas where large industries are located, unlike the Cape.
The same report showed the unemployment rate for dropouts at a painful 14.6 percent and high school graduates at 9.7 percent. Only 5.2 percent of college graduates with a bachelor’s degree were out of work in the wake of the 2008 economic meltdown.
We think the lesson is clear, get as much education as you can. It pays off.
June 17, 2010
source: capecodonline.com