There is no doubt that the last two years have been tough from an economic perspective. No matter the job people have or had, industries left and right have been hit hard. Sadly, since December of 2008, more than 2.5 million people have been laid off. In addition, millions of startup and small companies have failed - companies that were built on life savings, as well as heart and soul. Although experts believe it will take another two years or so for the financial situation to turn around, people still have to work, care for the family, and pay bills. Therefore, one of the best things a person can do is to look at the list of the best jobs to survive the recession. (more…)

While it was slowly brewing for many years, the economic crisis has finally become a national talking point. For many months, people tried to say that there was an economic crisis and were being shut down and told that the situation was under control. With those days gone and billion dollar bailouts being developed to help keep the economy afloat, it is time to start wondering where every job stands. While many people are able to keep their jobs, there is a great deal of worry about what will happen to our current salaries. (more…)

With a bad economy more and more people are finding money to be very tight. Does this sound like your situation? If so, you may be overlooking one simple step to earning more: ask for a raise. Now may not seem like the best time to ask for more money, but remember this: you will never know until you ask. (more…)

If you’re one of the many people looking for work at the moment, it won’t be a surprise to hear that this is a particularly tough time to be doing so. At CNN Money they have listed a few key tips for particular groups of job hunters, and perhaps one of these will be the tip you need that snags you a good job.

• For the older unemployed: the statistics are scary, with 9% of people over 50 losing their job in the past year - but check out AARP’s website which collates all the benefits you could be eligible for, and look at Retirement.com to see a list of companies that are more likely to hire older workers.
• For the younger unemployed: teenagers without any work experience are obviously finding it especially hard to find work in the current economic climate. Take advantage of your flexibility by being able to work nights or weekends without family responsibilities getting in the way; and don’t ignore internships as a great way of getting your foot in the door.
• For everyone: take this chance to gain more skills and thus make you even more employable. This is the time when many kinds of skills courses are out there recruiting trainees and students because they know this is the time they’re most needed.

photo credit: lumaxart

Sure, having a college degree generally makes you more employable and tends to increase your average salary too - but there are still a number of professions out there that don’t require a degree and can make you salaries over $100,000 a year. According to Forbes there are a dozen or more jobs that frequently give these high earnings for people without much in the way of qualifications. The jobs include:

• Air traffic controller: The union has ensured that these important positions are well-paid but it’s pretty stressful.
• Plumber: There is meant to be a shortage of plumbers in many areas and that means their services are in high demand.
• Construction superintendent: A lot of responsibility contributes to a high salary here for those with many years of experience.
• Real estate broker: People with a knack for sales and who don’t mind working at all hours of the week can do well here.
• Data communications manager: While some might have degrees in this area, it’s not required and non-graduates can earn well.
• Police supervisor: Depending on the state, you often only need a high school diploma to enter the police service and can work your way up to positions with a high salary over time.

But it’s not all easy: most of these jobs require a lot of overtime, or a lot of stress in the form of earning through commissions, to be able to reach a high salary.

We might not be able to do too much these days about choosing our employers - most workers are happy just to have one - but nonetheless having a read of Fortune Magazine’s best company to work for lists is interesting. Some of the highlights from their statistics for the best 100 companies in the United States for 2009 include:

• The top 5 companies to work for: NetApp, Edward Jones, the Boston Consulting Group, Google and Wegmans Food Markets.
• Companies who pay 100% of health insurance premiums for their employees: From the top 100, just 15 companies did this, including Microsoft, SAS and the Boston Consulting Group.
• Highest paid employees: The average salary at Bingham McCutchen is over $256,000.
• Companies where employees feel they have a good work-life balance: In the top ten are SAS, MITRE, the Camden Property Trust and Mattel.
• Interesting extras: employees at Wegmans Food Markets get discounts on their groceries; at Devon Energy, they get larger 401(k) contributions; and at Vanderbilt University, employees can get scholarships for their children.
• Locations of the top 25 companies: They’re spread down both the east and west coasts of the United States, with a number in central states like Texas as well.

Amongst news of lay-offs and increasing unemployment, it’s a difficult time to be choosing a career path. According to GE Miller at Mint, there are a few key areas that are a sustainable place to be looking for employment, both now and in the coming decades. The suggestions for safe, recession-proof job types are:

• Customer contact / sales representative positions: This might come as a surprise, but the thing is that when people are buying less or have less to spend, then companies actually need more sales people. So despite the coming of age of the internet, many experts believe that face-to-face sales people and jobs involving customer contact will have an important place now and in the future.
• Environmental jobs: Study engineering that can be put to use in solving global warming and green energy problems and you should be highly employable.
• Information technology / computer programmers / Network administrators: As you can imagine, there’s no end in sight for new contributions to this industry and IT graduates should happily find work from now and on into the next decades.
• Health care: The aging population is going to need a lot of extra health care, and they won’t just need doctors. Home aides and aged care workers will also be in high demand.

No matter how old you are there may come a time when your current career is not “doing it” for you any longer. Some people get bored with their career, others need to make more money, and some just want a change. No matter your reasoning you should never dismiss a career change if you feel that it is the right move to make. In fact, if you are successful in making a change you will find out soon enough that your life is more enjoyable.

If you are interested in changing careers you need to line up all your ducks before you begin to move forward. This starts with deciding what your new career will be, while also looking at this move from a financial point of view. And of course, you should discuss this with family members as well. After all, if you are going to take a cut in income you need to make sure that your family will still be able to get by.

There is nothing wrong with changing careers. This can be a great way to better your life, break up the monotony, and maybe even earn more money. If all of that sounds good, and you are tired of your current job, a career change may be in store.

If you’re feeling the pinch and would like a little extra side income to help cover some bills or get you back on track - or even to save some money for a special occasion like a vacation or a wedding - then you need to know the tips that Five Cent Nickel has been giving for those who are looking for some extra cash. Few of the ideas will make you rich but they will put some dollars in your pocket. Some of the best include:

• Get a paper route - that you can fit in before or after work, and get some exercise with it
• Do some baby-sitting or pet-sitting - they pay surprisingly well
• Get involved in marketing focus groups
• Sell your used textbooks, and other extra stuff you have around the house that you no longer use much
• Become a tutor if you have decent knowledge in some subjects - you don’t have to hold a PhD in mathematics to be able to help an eighth-grader
• Hire yourself out on weekends to do gardening work or other home handyman type tasks
• Do some cleaning work, either for offices or homes
• If you speak a second language, offer your services as a casual teacher or for language exchange programs

The latest bunch of tips from Gerri Willis at CNN concern what you can do if you’ve been laid off recently. As usual her tips are varied but probably all useful, and unfortunately tips targeting those who’ve been laid off are becoming relevant to more and more people at the moment. In summary, she suggests:

• Don’t withdraw money from your 401(k) - unless you have absolutely no other option. You’ll be cashing in an investment that is at a low point (therefore losing money), and you’ll have to pay the 10% penalty unless you’re already almost 60 years old. In other words, you’re losing a lot of money on dollars you will still need in the future.
• Find some other sources of money - if you have a home equity line of credit, use that; if not, try to find even some part-time work (not necessarily related to your usual work) or possibly look at freelancing.
• Consider retraining - certain professions have some obvious retraining possibilities at the moment, for example Willis mentions that construction workers are now commonly being retrained as green retrofitters. Look around for something where you can use some of your existing skills and experience but in an industry where getting a new job is a better prospect.