Business & Economics

Most people consider the hectic hustle & bustle of the holiday season a terrible time to search for a job. However, with the proper strategy and execution that Holiday Spirit can be used to your advantage. Kate Lorenz of careerbuilder.com writes:
What better time to network than when people are in good spirits and socializing frequently? Go to parties and gatherings, especially those where you're likely to meet new people who could be sources of job leads. Make it a point to listen more than talk. Be positive and upbeat. While you won't want to hand out resumes or press for contacts or referrals, you will want to let people know you are looking and follow up with them after the party. Seek out all the other participants and network like crazy.
This week on At Work, Emory Mulling discusses the Holiday Season job market and stuffs your stockings with plenty of job search tidbits. Friday at 3:00PM on YOUR Georgia Public Broadcasting.

It is estimated that 25% of people lie or exaggerate on resumes. While these tall tales can help one to get hired, lying on a resume can be detrimental to a career resulting in termination and soured relations with an employer.

This week on At Work, Emory & Cheryl discuss the importance of resumes and how to best use them to your advantage. Learn the keywords that REALLY catch potential employers' attention
and other tips to draft your PERFECT resume. Tune in to At Work Friday at 3:00PM on your local GPB Radio station.

At Work with Emory Mulling takes a break this week for Consumer Call In with Edgar Treiguts. Bobby Baker from the Georgia Public Service Commssion and Shawn Conroy of the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs join Edgar in the studio to answer your calls. Tune in to Consumer Call-In today at 3:00PM on GPB Radio or online. Leave your questions here in the comments section, or call 1-866-723-4642 (Radio GA).

Whether its the "monster manager" or "ghoulish co-workers," we've all had our share of Horror Stories on the job. This week on At Work, Emory Mulling takes calls about Scary Job Stories. Tune in or call in with your own horror stories. At Work airs on Georgia Public Broadcasting Friday's at 3:00PM. Stream the show, and other GPB programming online HERE.

This week on At Work, Brent Wilson joins Emory Mulling to discuss workplace diversity and EEO trends.


Celebrating Diversity in the workplace, makes employees feel appreciate for their uniqueness, but acknowledging similarities fosters a more cohesive workplace, forging common bonds amongst colleagues. Most of these connections come from interpersonal interaction. In order to strengthen those bonds, Susan Heathfield suggests:

Take a look at your coworkers or reporting staff with new eyes. Think about the factors that you share in common with them. You'll find:

• You're all human beings with complex emotions, needs, interests, outlooks, viewpoints and dreams. Share something about yourself to create an environment in which your coworker wants to share information with you. Listen and don't pry. Polite and continuing interest in your coworkers contributes to workplace harmony.



• You have family and other interests outside of work. Hear what your coworkers tell you about their personal lives. Remember the highlights to demonstrate respect and interest.



• You have similar needs from work as demonstrated above in The Human Capital Edge. Acknowledge this and note the commonalities.

For more on diversity in the workplace, join us Friday at 3PM for At Work, only on GPB.

Layoffs do indeed "Wreck Lives." Companies have been cutting back on employees to save money for quite a while, but the present state of the economy makes that even more of a reality. This week on At Work, Emory Mulling discusses strategies for making yourself "Fire Proof" in today's job market. Tune in at 3:00PM this Friday, only on GPB.

Layoffs affect employers just as much as employees, so the following links provide helpful info on how to avoid laying off employees all together:

Avoiding Layoffs in a Down Economy

A Creative Way to Avoid Layoffs

October 16th is Boss's Day, so this week on At Work with Emory Mulling, we're celebrating great bosses. Call in, or leave a comment on the blog, about what your boss does to make working for them a pleasure. Tune in (or listen over the internet) today at 3:00PM only on Georgia Public Broadcasting. Your Source for engaging and informative talk radio.

As with any other place of human interaction, conflict is bound to occur at work. Whether its as trivial as not replenishing the coffee pot or arriving late to work, these issues must be addressed before they snowball in to all out "Cubicle Clashes."

Most issues in the work place can be solved with lessons learned years ago in the sandbox such as, playing nice with others, or waiting your turn. Womenwork.org has a few tips for working through office discrepencies:

• If a conflict is between you and just one other person, try to work it out between the two of you, rather than bringing others into the conflict.
  
  
• In a workplace, everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Treat others the way you want to be treated, and don’t put people down.
  
  
• Give credit where credit is due; if someone has helped you on a project or proposal, make sure others are aware that the person deserves credit for helping.

For more from them, click here. Emory Mulling addresses these issues and more on At Work, this Friday at 3:00PM. Listen on GPB Radio, or on the internet here. Leave your questions for Emory in the comment section of this blog and he'll address them on air.

Employment Digest is an online resource filled with short, too the point daily articles about employment issues, workplace and career advice. These are quick reads that can give your career quest a daily quick start. You can search the site for articles by topic. Click here for a look at the site.
Join Emory Mulling and Cheryl Ayers Friday at 3pm for GPB's At Work when we take your calls about how you can resolve conflict on your job, whether with co-workers, your boss, or other dicey situations on the job. Avoiding conflict doesn't always resolve it. Join in with us for the discussion, live, Friday at 3pm on your local GPB Station.

You may not have to deal with photo shopped pictures of yourself on the internet like Sarah Palin, but your own "brand" is just as important as any politicians. With social networks and blogs abound, an employer simply needs your name to potentially view all of your activity on line. This can be particularly dire for young professionals as they transition from student life to that of a working adult. Embarrassing photos or generally unsavory information will turn off an employer, no matter how well the interview went. The best solution for this problem is to avoid it altogether.

Individuals that are particularly web savvy can take this situation and make it an asset by creating a blog or some other online content the positively reflects them in the eyes of employers. For instance, an aspiring music critic might start a blog about popular music with album reviews and industry news. This approach can also work wonders for entrepreneurs. A photographer blogging about photos they have taken has potential exposure to millions of possible clients on line compared to paying for ad space and reaching only a few thousand pairs of eyes.

This week on At Work, Emory Mulling fields questions about how to go about developing positive PR for yourself in the job market. Tune in to GPB on Friday at 3PM. Leave your questions for Emory here in the comments section and he'll answer them live on air.

Emory Mulling and Cheryl Ayers introduced our weekly At Work Internet tip of the week for job searches and career related issues with a short discussion about indeed.com. This site's look and utility is similar to Google, but with extensive links to sites about job trends, salaries, and forums for people looking for work and discussing workplace issues. We encourage you to pay them a visit to see if your job search can benefit. Let us know if you find something useful there by emailing us here.

The politicians may be afraid to use the "R-word", but we all know the economy is in bad shape. Unemployment rates are higher than any other time in recent history. However, there are still ways of landing a job in the current economic climate. Some career fields never slump no matter the state of economic affairs. Article Base has a listing of careers that fit this description including; teachers, CPAs, and Healthcare professionals.

Tune in to At Work this week as host Emory Mulling and Cheryl Ayers discuss tips on how to find jobs in a down economy and how you can kickstart your career. Airing this Friday at 3:00PM on GPB Radio.

Today on Consumer Call-In:

Shawn Conroy from the Governor's office of consumer affairs and Cynthia Johnson of the public service commission join Valarie Edwards as they discuss the unseen victims of the nation’s foreclosure crisis. What happens when the home you’re renting goes into foreclosure? Plus, a consumer alert about selling your car, when you still owe money on it. And we’ll have the latest consumer news you can use. All this on Consumer Call-In with Valarie Edwards.

Weekend Warriors can shout TGIF a little louder this week with the extended weekend that Labor Day affords. According to the official U.S. Department of Labor website:
The form that the observance and celebration of Labor Day should take were outlined in the first proposal of the holiday — a street parade to exhibit to the public "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day. Speeches by prominent men and women were introduced later, as more emphasis was placed upon the economic and civic significance of the holiday. Still later, by a resolution of the American Federation of Labor convention of 1909, the Sunday preceding Labor Day was adopted as Labor Sunday and dedicated to the spiritual and educational aspects of the labor movement.In tribute of Labor Day, Emory Mulling and Cheryl Ayers will interview special guest Walter Andrews, President of the Communication Workers of America Atlanta Chapter and Executive Vice President of the Georgia Chapter of the AFL-CIO. At Work with Emory Mulling airs Friday at 3:00PM on GPB. Tune in on your radio dial or stream the show online here.

Interviewing is one of the most stressful parts of a job search, and blowing an interview is a sure way to be rejected for a position. This show gives you tips for a successful interview for whatever level job you are interested in. It explains how to form the best first impression, open the interview, describe your accomplishments, and close the interview. Callers ask specific questions on how they should have handled one of their past interviews with a prospective employer, as well as receive advice on future interviews.

This week on At Work, Emory Mulling tackles the subject of networking. Hard work and a shimmering resume can only get you so far. A strong network of business connections can provide support in times of unemployment or opportunities to advance in a career. Some of us aren't "social butterflies," so it can be difficult just to speak with people we don't know. Here's a few helpful tips from the good folks over at Business Pundit:

Do cool things.
Introverts typically don’t like to talk about themselves - we prefer to talk about ideas. Force yourself to discuss some of the things you’ve done. Don’t brag, make sure they are relevant to the conversation. Then the extroverts can talk about you and pass your achievements along. It gives you credibility in some circles. Yes, I realize you would rather be accepted for what you think and know, but the truth is that the world measures you by what you do.

Go regularly to things you like.
When I was living on the Space Coast, I went to a group called Founders Forum. It was for entrepreneurs and investors. I learned a lot at the meetings, but it took about 6 months for people to start recognizing me and saying hi. It was uncomfortable, being 23 in a room of mostly middle aged people. You just have to keep showing up, month after month.


Networking can be as simple as handing out a business card or introducing yourself to co-workers in the break room. Share your stories of how networking has enhanced your career by leaving us a comment.

At Work with Emory Mulling airs this Friday at 3PM on GPB

Ron Jackson, Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, joins Emory Mulling this week on "At Work." Join us as Jackson answers the questions all students should know such as:
How many schools and how widespread is the Technical College system?

How is Technical College curriculum different from University curriculum?

Does the Hope Scholarship Program cover Technical College tuition costs?

Technical Colleges can also be helpful for non-traditional students or adults seeking to change careers or hone their skill set. At Work with Emory Mulling airs this Friday at 3PM on GPB, TUNE IN!

Submit your questions for Ron Jackson here in the comments section of the blog.

At Work with Emory Mulling takes a break this week for GPB's Consumer Call-In with host, Valarie Edwards. On today's show ... Bobbie Baker from the Public Service Commission and Shawn Conroy from the Governor's Office of Consumer Affairs take listener calls.
And, there's a new state website designed to help young adults become better consumers.
Also, learn how to protect yourself from identity thieves.
And, joining us today is Will Phillips from the statewide branch of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).
All that plus the latest in consumer information you can use.
Coming up on Consumer Call-In this afternoon at 3:00 here on GPB.