Tuesday November 10, 2009
After my post last week about the importance of staying at home if you're ill, one of my readers pointed out to me that he can't take sick days because he doesn't actually get any.
I did a little digging and found out that, in fact, something like 40 percent of the private-sector workforce in the U.S. is unable to take paid leave without notifying their employer in advance. Of those who do get sick leave, some are punished for taking it by receiving "demerit points" every time they miss a day. Accumulation of a certain number of points could result in termination in some companies.
Workers earning wages on the lower end of the scale tend to be the most affected – they have to choose between staying at home and not spreading germs, or coming into work even if they're contagious so they can make this month's rent, pay for groceries, or even keep their job.
But temp workers and independent contractors, including those working in the IT field, are also affected, as employers are not obligated to offer sick days or other benefits to those workers either.
I'm curious: How many of you who are working in the technology field are not entitled to paid sick leave? And of those of you who are able to take time off due to illness, are you discouraged from doing so?
Saturday November 7, 2009
If you're a new IT grad, you've probably realized this already: finding a job these days can be really tough. You've got your lack of on-the-job experience working against you, and there are a whole lot of other out-of-work but seasoned IT pros out there who may be vying for the same position you are, even if it represents a step down for them.
The Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) recently released a report that found graduate unemployment in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland has spiked to 44 percent, the highest rate in 10 years. The stats can't be much better for the U.S., Canada or other countries.
However, if you do get a job, HECSU says the salary levels are not being hit too hard.
If you need help finding your first tech job, check out our Entry Level and New Grad Resources Center. That's where you can find links to job boards, cover letter and resume writing tips, interview prep and follow-up, and other resources that could give you a leg up in your job search.
Wednesday November 4, 2009
How many times have you heard that around the office when someone lets out a cough?
While the person saying this may be joking, coming into the office with so much as the sniffles is increasingly being considered a faux-pas, especially these days when people are freaking out about H1N1.
The general consensus is: if you're sick, stay at home. And if you have deadlines to meet or otherwise absolutely have to get something done, this may be the time to take advantage of your company's telework policy. If you're allowed to work from home in these circumstances, why in the world would you come into the office?
So what happens if you're in a position where it's just not possible to telecommute? In a perfect world, you'd still stay at home and take whatever sick days you need, because management has planned ahead and allowed at least one other person to be cross-trained in your specialization so they can perform your job in an emergency.
But with downsizing and the generally hectic pace in IT, is that reality in the average workplace? Do you feel your company is properly prepared to handle such a situation? Let me know your thoughts....
Monday November 2, 2009
Not surprisingly, the overall labor market is still quite weak. But the technology job category is apparently a bit of an exception, according to recent data from The Conference Board.
The total number of jobs in all industries and categories posted online across the U.S. dipped in October (83,200 fewer than in September), but there was actually a slight increase in the Computer and Mathematical Science category, with 7,200 more jobs posted online than in the month before. Many of these were actually computer systems engineering positions, which are supposed to be some of the hottest IT gigs of 2010 as far as starting salaries go.
And, if you look closely at the data, you'll see that overall, the tech sector is supposed to be faring better than some other categories that saw a bigger jump in job postings.
For example, while sales and related occupations saw a pretty big upsurge in online employment ads in October compared to September, you still have an average of four unemployed sales people competing for each job posting in this category.
IT is different: There are just over 236,000 unemployed tech workers in the U.S., but more than 409,000 vacancies posted online, making the job market much less competitive – in theory, of course.
But what's it like in practice for those of you who are currently looking for a job? Are you actually seeing that many opportunities, and are they good matches for your skill sets? I'd love to hear more about your job search challenges and the types of roadblocks you're coming across...
In the meantime, check out this list of sites where you can find IT jobs (you might see some you haven't heard of before):
