Community Service Jobs

In a time when many people are looking to do something to make a difference, you might want to consider a community service job.

Those with social and community service manager jobs plan, organize and coordinate activities of social service and community outreach programs. These workers also may oversee the organization's budget and policies regarding volunteers, program requirements and benefits.

According to an article by Career Planner, community service workers are often responsible for:

• establishing and maintaining relationships with other agencies and organizations in the community in order to meet community needs and to ensure that services are not duplicated
• preparing and maintain records and reports, such as budgets, personnel records, or training manuals
• directing activities of professional and technical staff members and volunteers
• evaluating the work of staff and volunteers in order to ensure that programs are of appropriate quality and that resources are used effectively
• establishing and overseeing administrative procedures to meet objectives set by boards of directors or senior management
• participating in the determination of organizational policies regarding such issues as participant eligibility, program requirements and program benefits
• researching and analyzing member or community needs in order to determine program directions and goals
• speaking to community groups to explain and interpret agency purposes, programs and policies
• recruiting, interviewing and hiring or signing up volunteers and staff
• representing organizations in relations with governmental and media institutions
• planning and administering budgets for programs, equipment and support services
• analyzi proposed legislation, regulations or rule changes in order to determine how agency services could be impacted
• acting as consultants to agency staff and other community programs regarding the interpretation of program-related federal, state and county regulations and policies
• implementing and evaluating staff training programs
• directing fund-raising activities and the preparation of public relations materials

Recruiters Make At-Home Job Searching Easy

VisualCV, Inc., the company reinventing the resume for the digital age, today announced a new collaboration with eJobFairs.net, a division of Complete Career Network Inc. whereby the two companies will bring together job seekers and employers in a hassle-free online venue.

Combining their expertise, these career innovators will host the ultimate live job fair over the Internet on February 3rd --bringing together more than 20 employers and recruiters who will offer a range of positions within the high tech sector.

"Using their VisualCVs, job seekers can interview with hiring companies live from any computer, and demonstrate exactly why they should get the job by embedding standout work samples and career achievements," said CEO Jeff Hunter, CEO of VisualCV. "Working with eJobFairs, we're able to offer our VisualCV.com members direct access to VisualCV employers in a real-time virtual environment -- enabling them to gain a competitive advantage and further their job seeking and networking capabilities."

Unlike other approaches, VisualCV allows job seekers to embed work samples, testimonials, professional qualifications and more, in order stand out from the crowd when applying for jobs. Privacy settings ensure that VisualCVs can be shared selectively based on the sensitivity of their content or published widely as an Internet-based career biography.

"Uniting these innovative technology applications within the career marketplace, we are offering a new approach to searching for a job and attending career fairs," said Hunter.

To register for the online job fair visit www.visualcvjobfairs.com. Participation is free for job seekers however candidates are required to have a VisualCV.

The eJobFair experience takes the frustration and the cost out of looking for a new job. There's no phone tag with the hiring manager, no travel to attend, and no standing in line for hours. Hiring Managers benefit from having easy access to potential candidate's VisualCVs and by having the ability to streamline the effort typically associated with background research.

"These live and fully interactive job fairs are not virtual, they are real events where job seekers and employers meet and interview one-on-one with each other in real time," said Jason Vrane, Vice President of Client Services for Complete Career Network Inc.

Music Jobs Tips

If you're interested in the music business, you probably want to know how to get a music job.

The first step toward getting a job in the music business is to get an education at a well-known college or university with a good music program. Music students often have the chance to participate in outside gigs, internships and network while attending concerts. The next step is figuring out how to market that experience to potential employers.

In a Berklee article, Keith Hatschek, author of How to Get a Job in the Music Industry, has some tips for students looking to get ahead in the music job search. One lesson Hatschek has for students is that they should note expect the music industry to provide instant gratification.

"They have to understand that it's a marathon, not a sprint," Hatschek said in the article. "Not that we want to encourage people to settle for things they're not interested in, but sometimes it's better to start working and meeting people.

"I started as a professional musician, then moved into music technology, sound recording, and then ended up being a marketing and business executive," he continued. "Opportunities come, and being willing to look at what something might mean in a broad way can really help students move up quickly."

Hatschek said it's also important to focus on the content of your resume, which should be only one page long. Students should cite examples of specific achievements, goals and outcomes and tie them in with a specific job.

"One student that I spoke with had experience as a performer, a band leader, an arranger, and a composer for a radio commercial or TV spot," Hatschek noted in the article. "His resume was all over the place. And he didn't have a job objective outline.

"Students—especially when they're close to graduating—sometimes have trouble because they don't want to limit themselves," he added. "That's the beauty of the word processor. You can have one resume for composing/arranging and another resume aimed toward performing."

Virginia Jobs Hit Hardest in Circuit City Liquidation

Circuit City Stores, Inc. has announced that it will seek Bankruptcy Court approval to begin the process to liquidate the assets of the company.

"We are extremely disappointed by this outcome. The company had been in continuous negotiations regarding a going concern transaction. Regrettably for the more than 30,000 employees of Circuit City and our loyal customers, we were unable to reach an agreement with our creditors and lenders to structure a going-concern transaction in the limited time frame available, and so this is the only possible path for our company," said James A. Marcum, vice chairman and acting president and chief executive officer for Circuit City Stores, Inc.

Virginia jobs will be hardest hit, as the company is headquartered in Richmond.

Circuit City will provide more details in the near term about the plans for the liquidation of the stores and other assets, the status of the company's Web site and firedogSM services operations, the status of its Canadian operations and plans for the company's bankruptcy proceedings.

The company does not anticipate any value will remain from the bankruptcy estate for the holders of the company's common equity, although this will be determined in the continuing bankruptcy proceedings.

The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2008.

Top Reasons Conducting Employee Background Checks are Essential

CheckPoint HR, an Administrative Service Organization (ASO), has released a list of why background checks are essential. The following details the reasons why companies in all industries and sizes need to make background checks a standard practice in their hiring process.

1. Applicant Verification Increases Quality of Hire
Unfortunately, most applicants are not always truthful on job applications and resumes. Common fallacies include fabricating skills and educational experience, excluding negative information or fudging dates. Taking the extra step of running a complete employee background check provides an opportunity to validate the accuracy of the information provided by the candidate that could otherwise not be evaluated in an interview.

2. Avoid Workplace Theft and Violence
Uncovering a potential employee’s legal history can help companies identify those that may be at risk of engaging in violence and theft, both of which are on the rise in the workplace. According to a 2006 report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), almost half of employers with over 1,000 employees reported an incident of workplace violence in the previous year. A background check can reveal an employee’s criminal history that may have been excluded on a resume, helping companies avoid dreadful legal issues and monetary losses in the future.

3. Don’t Go to Court
Organizations are held legally responsible for negligent hiring. Unfortunately, it’s become fairly common for a company to find themselves facing legal issues, so it is very important for a company to conduct a thorough screening process of all employees to mitigate legal risk. Legal trouble can result from serious offenses such as identity theft, data and financial breaches, to an invalid employee driver’s licenses, etc.

4. Reduce Turnover and Discipline Issues
Relying solely on a resume and an interview can lead to the hiring of a substandard or high risk candidate. Taking the extra steps to ensure the most capable candidates are selected will lower the turnover rates and decrease discipline issues. Also, diving deeper into a candidate’s employment history can help companies avoid hiring employees that have an unstable work history.

5. Create a More Productive Office
Running a background check reflects corporate responsibility and discourages dishonest behavior with applicants. Background checks also show current employees and clients you are willing to take the extra steps and time to ensure you bring the best employees into the company. This act shows employees you have their best interest in mind and seek to provide them with the most qualified co-workers. A satisfied and competent employee pool creates a more stable and successful work environment.

6. Not Just for New Hires or Pre-Employment
Organizations can develop and execute company policies that support ongoing evaluations for existing employees based on tenure, promotions, security, etc. in order to reduce risk. It’s important to note that employee acknowledgement and consent should always be be required.

“By hiring a new employee, you are entrusting them with your company and your clients. Therefore it’s your corporate responsibility to ensure a safe work environment and protect your company’s assets,” said Michelle Moylan, HR Specialist for CheckPoint HR.