TresSugar

Shocking Truths About the Underemployment of College Graduates

OnSugar Blog — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 03:15:10 PST

OnSugar blogger Beauty and the Budget shares the shocking unemployment statistics of college graduates.

As a teenager, it seemed as though the next few steps in my life were going to be easy. You go to college and you get a job. That's what all of the older kids did. What I didn't know was that I would graduate college one year after the recession began and that my dream job would be even harder to grasp, much less finding a job with a good salary and benefits.

Since graduation, I have not been able to find a job that pays more than $10.50 an hour. Even though I have liked my jobs, that doesn't mean I am not financially stressed. I have around $40K in student loan debt - and that's even after receiving a $10K scholarship. Sometimes I feel like I could have skipped college altogether considering I have worked jobs that don't even require a college degree. On the optimistic side of things, I still feel like getting a college degree is a good idea. I just wish I'd have known then what I'd be getting myself into and that I wouldn't just magically graduate with a good job.

Read on for more.

Do You Have One of America's Most Stressful Jobs?

Emily Co — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:27:18 PST

There's always going to be a certain level of stress at a job and there are plenty of reasons why people consider their jobs stressful: low pay, instability, office politics, and not being challenged. Even if your job has these certain stress factors, do you think it qualifies as one of America's most stressful jobs? Here's a roundup of CNBC's top 10 most stressful jobs in America:

Enlisted Military Solider: Makes about $35,580 a year.
Firefighter: Makes about $45,250 a year.
Airline Pilot: Makes about $103,210 a year.
Military General: Makes about $196,300 a year.
Police Officer: Makes about $53,540 a year.
Event Coordinator: Makes about $45,260 a year.
Public Relations Executive: Makes about $91,810 a year.
Senior Corporate Executive: Makes about $165,830 a year.
Photojournalist: Makes about $40,000 a year.
Taxi Driver: Makes about $22,440 a year.

You might scratch your head at some of the occupations listed, because being an event coordinator or senior corporate executive sounds like the type of job people would dream to have. However, the grass is always greener on the other side, and there are plenty of downsides. For example, event coordinators have to deal with the pressures of bridezillas and other perfectionists, and corporate executives are responsible for the conduct and activities of a big group of people. Do you have a stressful job?

10 Awesome Jobs For People Who Want to Work From Home

Emily Co — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:00:00 PST

Many people dream of working from home because of perks like not having to commute and being able to work in your pajamas. The good news is we're seeing more and more jobs that give people the privilege of working from home. Although there are stereotypical contract admin or call-center jobs that let you work from home, there are plenty of other at-home jobs that are way more fun. Read on to find out what they are.

10 of Today's Hottest Jobs

Kiplinger — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:15:12 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Believe it or not, even with the unemployment rate stubbornly high and many industries reluctant to staff up, there are employers out there who still can’t find enough qualified applicants. Some are offering six-figure salaries to the right job seekers. The trick, of course, is unearthing these hidden opportunities.

We started by asking CareerBuilder to mine its vast employment database to identify promising occupations that are experiencing an under-supply of qualified applicants relative to the number of available jobs. The resulting ratio is a good indicator of hiring demand - the lower the ratio, the greater the need for applicants. A ratio of 10.0, for example, means there are ten job seekers for every open position. A ratio of 0.5 means there are two open positions for every job seeker.

We also took a hard look at pay and growth prospects, based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Annual salary ranges reflect the rates in the 25th and 75th percentiles. Ten-year growth projections are based on BLS's expected change in the number of positions between 2008 and 2018. Finally, we filtered our choices to represent a range of industries and educational requirements. Check out our list of ten of today’s hottest jobs.

1. Nurse Practitioner

Hiring demand: 0.25 active job seekers for every open position

Annual salary range: $52,980-$79,020

10-year growth projection: 22%

Job description: A picture of health. The first baby-boomers are reaching retirement age at a time when there’s a shortage of primary-care physicians. Nurses are needed to close the gap. They perform many duties, from medical histories to disease management, previously handled by doctors. While hospitals are the largest employers of nurses, the fastest growth - and best pay - can be found in physicians’ offices. At minimum, you’ll need to complete a formal training program. Some nursing positions call for an associate’s, bachelor’s or even master’s degree.

Read on for more hot jobs.

Beat the Summer Slump With These 6 Tips

SavvySugar — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 05:00:09 PDT

The sweltering Summer heat can make it difficult to concentrate on work. If you're itching to get out of your cubicle to lounge by the poolside, we've got these suggestions for you to stay productive at work while making the most of Summer.

Decorate your desk: Personalize your desk with a Summer theme. Keep a potted plant or fresh flowers at your desk. Frame a few of your favorite Summer memories to perk up your mood.
Listen to a Summer-themed playlist: Create your own upbeat playlist, or check out Pandora Summer playlists. I'm loving Pandora's "Summer Hits From the 90s" that includes hits from Tag Team, Blues Traveler, and Vertical Horizon. There's nothing like nostalgic tunes from the Summers of your youth to bring back happy memories.

Read on for more tips on beating the Summer slump.

Photojournalists Are Stressed Out: Here's Why

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 03:20:42 PDT

Have a career you love? Well if you're a photojournalist, you could love your job, but you could also be stressed out. According to a new report, photojournalism is the fourth most stressful job of 2011, alongside commercial airline pilots, real estate agents, and stockbrokers. You may not think that snapping pics of everyday life could be that hard on your heart, but it is. Here are a few reasons why:

It's dangerous - Professional photojournalists are sent to the front lines of wars, disputes, and tragedy-stricken areas, putting themselves in danger so the rest of us can see the events taking place around the world.
It's on-call - If a breaking news story hits, most photojournalists have little time to prepare, pack, and leave home. Imagine the last time you narrowly missed a flight, then amp it up to 11.

Learn about some other stress factors photojournalists face when you read more.

The Top 10 Happiest Cities to Work

Emily Co — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 13:36:51 PDT

Seeing as how 77 percent of people suffer from job stress according to a recent survey, they might want to pack their bags and move to one of the happiest cities to work in. And why are all these residents so happy? CareerBliss took into account factors such as average salary, benefits, job growth, and security before coming up with this list:

San Jose, CA
San Francisco, CA
Jacksonville, FL
Miami, FL
Washington, DC
Memphis, TN
El Paso, TX
Los Angeles, CA
San Diego, CA
Birmingham, AL

To view the unhappiest cities to work in, read on.

Geeks We Love: Maia Kayser, Lead Animator at ILM

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 15:02:44 PST

ILM lead animator, Maia Kayserr, sat down with me last week to give us an inside look at the making of Rango, and while it seems that this particular project was unique in the way it was made, the life of a feature film animator is one that requires a lot of skill, patience, and a good sense of humor.

Maia was first interested in studying medicine, but after seeing Jurassic Park, she was turned on to a career in animation: "I was really fascinated with the idea of making something look so real, basically giving it life on the screen." So she headed to school in Germany to study computer arts; 10 years and 14 films later, Maia got the chance to head up the animation team for the character Beans, and says that Rango has been the most fulfilling experience of her career thanks to the solid relationships that have developed between team members. Find out what she has to say about becoming an animator, "cartoons" for adults, and whether or not ILM will be working on more animated films in the future after the break.

What's on Claire Danes's Résumé?

Diana Nguyen — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 05:00:00 PST

Congrats to Claire Danes for another statue win! Just like 2011 award season fave Natalie Portman, Ms. Danes has been working in the movie biz since she was a youngster. But unlike the bride/mama-to-be, Claire's résumé lists a plethora of indie flicks and unusual characters, which is going to make guessing her characters' job titles all the harder. Let's get cracking!

Question 1 of 7

In 1999's box office flop The Mod Squad, Claire, Omar Epps, and Giovanni Ribisi opt to work as what instead of serving time in jail?

Plenty of Jobs Around, but Not Many High-Paying Ones

Emily Co — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 10:55:30 PST

The good news is that jobs are coming back, the bad news is the pay of those jobs are far from stellar, said CNN. According to experts, this job recovery is mainly driven by temp and low-wage jobs, which is concerning. "Growth has been concentrated in mid-wage and lower-wage industries. By contrast, higher-wage industries showed weak growth and even net losses," said Annette Bernhardt, a co-director for the National Employment Law Project.

However, not all high-wage jobs have been affected - positions for registered nurses, considered to be very high-paying jobs, are expected to have the most increase in the next decade. It's not certain whether this job trend will continue, and it'll be dependent on many factors, including the global economic recovery. For job hunters who are anxiously searching, check out the fields that have had the most job growth.