Information for Job Seekers
TeyTV talks about some of the careers he wanted to pursue when he was younger and what he wants to pursue now.
Duration : 0:9:21
Rasmussen College Director of Career Development discusses dip in the unemployment rate and ways you can make yourself more job ready.
Duration : 0:2:22
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish
President Obama has been seeking support for his four-hundred-forty-seven-billion-dollar jobs plan. The American Jobs Act calls for cutting wage taxes on most businesses. It seeks to prevent public employees like teachers, police and firefighters from losing their jobs to budget-cutting measures. And it calls for more federal spending on roads and transportation infrastructure to help create jobs.In October the Senate blocked a vote on the full bill. President Obama said he would seek votes on different parts of his jobs plan. Mr. Obama and his wife, Michelle, traveled to North Carolina and Virginia as part of efforts to seek support for his jobs plan.The Republican majority leader in the House of Representatives said some parts of the bill are like those in a plan put forward by the Republicans. Eric Cantor urged President Obama to find common ground with House Republicans. “We want the president to work with us. We want him to stop campaigning. Let’s go find the things that are in common between this plan and his.”Republicans in Congress offered their own plans to improve job growth earlier in the year. They have called for cutting tax rates and limiting government rules on businesses.Also in October, Congress passed free trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama, and the president signed them into law. Both Mr. Obama and congressional Republicans agree the deals should create jobs at home and open markets to American exports. United States trade officials say every additional billion dollars in new exports supports six thousand additional jobs. Last year, exports to South Korea alone stood at about thirty-nine billion dollars. But the president says a lack of jobs continues to hurt economic growth. The unemployment rate held at 9.1 percent in September. The economy added over one hundred thousand jobs during the month. But economists say that is not enough to markedly bring down jobless rate.For VOA Special English, I’m Alex Villarreal. Our programs are a way for people to read, listen and learn American English and much more. You can download transcripts and MP3s of our stories at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also join us on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English.
(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 21Oct2011)
Duration : 0:3:57
Dan Galloway offers some common sense job search via a guitar performance that is absolutely horrible.
Duration : 0:9:24
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglish
The job market is more competitive than ever for millions of workers around the world. In America, one reason for that right now is high unemployment after the worst recession since the nineteen thirties. But other reasons involve changes in the needs of the American and global economies. In big developing economies like India and China, high turnover rates mean workers often move from job to job. These days, many job seekers go online to connect with employers. Job candidates want to show they have a lot to offer. But in many cases they simply apply for a job title and list their work experience. Instead, they should describe the talents and abilities they could bring to an organization.That’s the advice of Steve Langerud, director of professional opportunities at DePauw University in Indiana. He advises students on career planning and often talks about workplace issues in the media. He says social media sites are valuable when they show the abilities of job candidates and not just their job title and experience. He says: “This really is a talent economy, and we’re stuck with most job seekers presenting themselves in a job title mode. And I don’t think it matches very well.” Steve Langerud also says employers should think harder about the skills they really need to help their organization reach its goals. “Because at the end of the day, it’s still about getting the right people in the right place at the right time and then keeping them.” Ben Kirshner is the founder and chief executive of a media marketing company in New York called Elite SEM. SEM is search engine marketing. His company’s job is to help businesses improve their websites and search engine results. Ben Kirshner says when his company is searching for candidates for new positions, it first looks within; it considers existing employees. After that, he says, social sites can be valuable. Twenty-five percent of new hires come from social media. Seventy-five percent “typically come from word of mouth” — in other words, recommendations from other people. Elite SEM uses sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to learn about job candidates. LinkedIn is a networking site for professionals, so users might be more careful about what they say. But Mr. Kirshner says a site like Facebook can also provide a lot of information — good or bad — about a person. So pay attention to what you put on the Internet and what others put online about you. For VOA Special English, I’m Carol Presutti.
(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 05May2011)
Duration : 0:4:0