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Where to Look if You Need a Job

This morning on TODAY, we talked about the stubborn unemployment rate and how it’s impacting Americans. So if you need a job, where can you go to look for one? Watch the clip below for more information on unemployment, and where the jobs are today.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Entrepreneur Friday: Wilt PR

melanie2WHO: Melanie Wilt

WHAT: Wilt Public Relations

WHERE: S. Charleston, Ohio

WHEN: 2008

HOW: Melanie Wilt had spent most of her working years multi-tasking. Working in communications and media positions everywhere from the agriculture to technology firms, all while doing freelance PR and spokesperson consulting and training on the side, Wilt had a great deal of experience – but she also had an itch to venture out on her own. Having grown up on a farm in Ohio, her community focused on agriculture and horticulture, Wilt had seen the impact the industry had on rural communities like her own. More…

Entrepreneur Friday: Baking for Good

EmilyDubner5WHO: Emily Dubner

WHAT: Baking for Good

WHERE: New York, NY

WHEN: 2009

HOW: Emily Dubner, a Harvard graduate, has been baking since she was a little girl. From decorating sugar cookies with her mom for school bake sales, to baking cookies as gifts for her college roommates, Dubner knew that baking was one of her favorite things – but it wasn’t until her mom received a gift basket of cookies from a friend that she ever thought of baking as a business. “I started thinking about the idea of an online bake sale,” says Dubner, “a company that would not only offer delicious, high-quality treats, but that would also incorporate the spirit of the bake sale by raising money for great causes.” More…

Employee Incentives: Do They Work?

Do incentives work? More and more companies are offering rewards to their employees for everything from flying coach on business trips to taking their blood pressure medication. This morning on the TODAY Show, I talked about a few of these incentive programs and offered my take on whether or not they’re worthwhile. Watch the clip below!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Entrepreneur Friday: Skylands Saddlery

billy 2009WHO: Ronni Blasz

WHAT: Skylands Saddlery

WHERE: New Jersey

WHEN: 2006

HOW: Ronni Blasz entered the business world and climbed the corporate ladder far quicker than she had imagined. After graduating from business school and beginning work in New York, she found herself in a director position at Merrill Lynch at the age of 29.  She excelled – but had reservations – and when she was suddenly fired without warning, those reservations were confirmed. “I was bitter, angry, and upset,” says Blasz about her job loss, but when she was offered a consulting position with her former company three years later, with the promise of a full-time position after 60 days, she knew she needed to take it. However, 60 days came and went, and six years later, Blasz found herself still consulting – but also wanting a way out. More…

Entrepreneur Friday: Oculus Partners

CLHphotoWHO: Cynthia Hayes

WHAT: Oculus Partners

WHERE: Atlanta, GA

WHEN: 2008

HOW: Some people, when they think of retirement, think of golfing, beach houses, and sleeping in – a far cry from Cynthia Hayes’ retirement dreams. They included launching a business that, not so coincidentally, would help others save for and achieve their own retirement goals. “I was feeling a bit uninspired and unfulfilled,” says Hayes, formerly a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch, “plus, I had always targeted age 55 as the time to do something on my own.” So when Merrill offered her a voluntary early retirement in April of 2008 – months before she had planned to make the jump – she leapt and started work on her new project. One full day (literally), some phone calls, and a Linked In account later, Hayes was in business. More…

Entrepreneur Friday: Emerson Salon

MattBuchanWHO: Matt Buchan & Alex Garcia

WHAT: Emerson Salon

WHERE: Seattle, WA

WHEN: 2008

HOW: Not everyone can say their business blossomed at a Cyndi Lauper concert – but Matt Buchan and Alex Garcia aren’t everyone. “We had always wanted to get into the retail business,” says Buchan of the team’s goals, “but we hadn’t really found anything we were excited about.” More…

Three Keys to Successful Career Change

wowowow2
iStock_000011532245XSmallMy friend Diane just finished taking her finals. She’s gone back to school to get a degree in nutrition – just one step, for this former sales and marketing exec, as she plans her second act.

My cousin Ilene, over dinner about a week ago, unveiled her idea of a fab business to take her through the next stage of her life: Open a restaurant that would be open only weekdays and only for breakfast and lunch. (She noted she had yet to figure out if such a restaurant could be profitable, but it sure would be nice More…

Guest Post: Affordable Tips for Interview Success

Lizandra Vega’s new book, The Image of Success: Make a Great Impression and Land the Job You Want, is a great resource for today’s job-seeker, so I was excited when she agreed to write a guest post for my blog and share some effective and low-cost interview tips. I hope you enjoy — and get that job!

Lizandra Vega's PR Shot 003As if the pressure of looking for a job when you’re on a tight budget or unemployed isn’t enough; with bills piling up and other financial responsibilities waiting to be met, you have to worry about looking your best? It’s difficult to justify making any wardrobe purchases during a time when money is better spent on practical life and death matters. Still, appearance stands for the “A” in the ABCs of finding a job and unquestionably the first of many components by which you are evaluated during a job interview. More…

Looking for a Summer Job?

iStock_000009127234XSmallYesterday in my weekly Money Mom post, I talked about the importance of being creative when trying to find a job this summer. For kids ages 16-24 — those competing for part-time summer work, internships, and entry-level jobs — unemployment is on the rise because the competition is high. Today, the Wall Street Journal reported on the same topic, and I wanted to share their story with you. The article notes that it’s crucial to get creative when trying to land a job this summer — so whether you’re looking to be an intern or a lifeguard, you need to network and do everything you can to stand out at the best candidate.

 

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