'Burgh Works, A Pittsburgh Jobs Blog

Putting America Back To Work Job Fair Series Returns To Pittsburgh August 4th at Mellon Arena

2009-07-16T11:40:00.000-04:00

The “Putting America Back to Work” job fair series, with over 50 events scheduled to be held across the country, returns to Pittsburgh on August 4th at Mellon Arena (home of the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins!) from 10AM to 3PM.

The March event, which was also held at Mellon Arena, featured 45 companies and schools and was attended by approximately 1,500 job seekers. One aspect of this series across the country is the post event tracking of how many job offers are made to the job seekers who attended each event. The goal was 10,000 jobs by 2010. As of the end of June that goal was already achieved! The new goal has now been put at 15,000 job offers nationwide. The Pittsburgh event in March has resulted so far in over 150 job offers made giving those in attendance a better than 1 in 10 chance of landing a job.

The upcoming August event is expected to be somewhat smaller in size due to the seasonal aspect of an early August job market. About 30 to 35 companies are expected to attend. The doors will open to the public at 10:00AM with free admission for all job seekers and no pre-registration required.

This event, the 2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo, is produced by the Pittsburgh office of EmploymentGuide.com, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, AARP Foundation WorkSearch and Allegheny Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Representatives from each of those organizations will be on hand to speak with job seekers about programs offered to help with job searches in this difficult economy.

As of this writing 28 employers and schools have signed on to attend. The list includes:

Giant Eagle Corporate
TSA, Transportation Safety Admin
HCR Manorcare
US Navy
Sheet Metal Workers
Transitional Services
Waddell & Reed
Life Pittsburgh
Giant Eagle Get Go
Army National Guard
CCAC, Community College of Allegh. County
Mainstay Life Services
Aramark
SMG/Mellon Arena
H & R Block
Goodwill
Kaplan School
Family Foundations - Early Head Start
CVS Pharmacy
Dish Network
Academy of Court Reporting and Technology
EDMC Online
Giant Eagle Market District
Pittsburgh Job Corp
Giant Eagle Xpress
Quest Diagnostics
Vanguard Cleaning Systems
Lifesteps

This list will be updated every week until the event.

April Unemployment Rate for Pittsburgh Metro Rises to 7.3%, Up 1/10th Point

2009-06-02T09:30:00.004-04:00

HARRISBURG (JUNE 2) – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) rose one-tenth of a percentage point in April to 7.3 percent.

The rate was below those of Pennsylvania (7.8 percent) and the United States (8.9 percent). The civilian labor force decreased for the third consecutive month due to a drop in resident employment. The unemployment count has been increasing for a full year, and has reached its highest point since October 1986 at 88,900. This has been the longest run of increases in resident unemployment on record (current data set back to 1970). The Pittsburgh MSA’s unemployment rate was 2.6 percentage points above the April 2008 rate.

Among Pennsylvania’s 14 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, the Pittsburgh MSA held the sixth lowest unemployment rate. Rates in the Pittsburgh MSA ranged from 6.5 percent in Allegheny County to 9.8 percent in Armstrong County. Allegheny and Beaver counties experienced unemployment rate declines, the first drops in the MSA since September 2008.

In April, the Pittsburgh MSA’s seasonally adjusted jobs count declined 3,200 to 1,123,500. This was the eighth consecutive monthly loss. Over the year, jobs were down 2.4 percent in the Pittsburgh MSA, a smaller percentage drop than Pennsylvania, down 2.8 percent from April 2008.

Industry Detail (Not Seasonally Adjusted)

Goods-producing jobs in the Pittsburgh MSA increased 2,500 in April due mostly to a seasonal construction gain. Manufacturers inched down to a record low of 90,900 jobs with both durable and nondurable goods manufacturers at their lowest levels on record (current data set back to 1990). Over the year, goods producers shed 11,600 jobs with losses in construction and manufacturing.

Service-providing jobs increased 5,200, the smallest April gain since 2002. The majority of increases were within leisure & hospitality and professional & business services, both of which showed less April gain than usual. Information dipped 300 to a record low of 19,900 jobs.

Service-providing companies dropped 16,000 jobs from April 2008. This was the largest over-the-year decline on record (current data set back to 1990). Aside from education & health services, all supersectors posted declines from last April.

See the full report from the PA State Department of Labor and Industry here.

Point Park University Presents Free Series for Unemployed Adults In June

2009-05-29T09:16:00.005-04:00

Here is a press release we received from Point Park College on a free series of workshops to help recently unemployed workers put their job search on track:

Point Park University Presents Free Series for Unemployed Adults
“Bridging the Career Gap – from Panic to Planning”

Workshops Offered Five Evenings in June

Pittsburgh - A job loss can feel overwhelming. How do you market yourself in the digital age? What is the most effective way to uncover job prospects in today’s market? How do you handle finances? Should you consider switching careers? Point Park University is offering a free program for recently unemployed adults to help answer these questions and create a strategy to bridge the career gap.

“Whether a job loss is expected or not, people need a plan to move successfully through the change,” says Mary Smith Peters, associate dean of students, business school adjunct faculty member and instructor for the series. “As part of its service to the community, Point Park is offering this series free to residents who now find themselves unemployed. Even those who have been without a job will find tools to help them move to the next step in employment.”

“Bridging the Career Gap – from Panic to Planning” will be held Tuesday evenings in June, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Point Park University’s Academic Hall, Room 309. Smith Peters suggests that participants plan to attend all sessions for maximum benefit. Registration is required. Register online or by e-mail dbateman@pointpark.edu or by calling 412-392-3433.

June 2 “Where You Fit in Today’s Job Market”
6-8 p.m. Learn what job types are prevalent now in this region, what the market will be for the future, and how your skills can be applied.

June 9 “Managing Debt and Finances Without a Paycheck”
6-8 p.m. Hear from a panel of experts about available resources and effective ways to manage finances and debt.

June 16 “Is it Time for a New Career Path?”
6-8 p.m. Find out if the best next step is changing your career.

June 23 “Updating Your Self-Marketing for the New Economy”
6-8 p.m. Facebook? Twitter? Create a “digital age” resume that will work for you.

June 30 “Your Custom Career Plan”
6-8 p.m. Build a winning strategy tailored just for you.

“The last class will help individuals with their personalized plans,” says Mary Smith Peters. She will be joined in the final session by Debbie Bateman, director of transfer and articulation and enrollment management, and Sandy Cronin, Point Park University’s director of financial aid, both of whom will also answer questions about University programs for participants who want to pursue further education opportunities.

Smith Peters teaches career planning and decision making courses in the School of Business. In her role as associate dean of students, she also works to ensure an intellectually stimulating and supportive learning environment for non-traditional students.

Point Park University, founded in 1960, is an independent, four-year coeducational institution located in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. Point Park enrolls approximately 3,800 full- and part-time students in 67 undergraduate programs and eight graduate programs offered through its School of Arts and Sciences, School of Business, School of Communication and Conservatory of Performing Arts.
The University is transforming its campus and Downtown Pittsburgh with the Academic Village at Point Park University, a $244 million campus and public enhancement space plan. For more information about Point Park, visit www.pointpark.edu.

Manpower's Annual 10 Hardest Jobs To Fill Survey Finds Four Years of Similar Data Points to Gaps in the U.S. Workforce

2009-05-28T13:03:00.004-04:00

Even in the midst of the biggest "buyer's market" in decades, these are the posiitons found to be most difficult to fill nationwide, according to Manpower:

MILWAUKEE, May 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Engineers, Nurses and Skilled/Manual Trades are among the nation's most challenging positions to fill, according to survey findings released today by Manpower Inc.

"In the four years we have performed this research, the same positions appear on the list again and again," said Jonas Prising, President of the Americas. "Despite the current economic instability and high unemployment, there are still skills that the U.S. workforce seems to lack."

The 10 Hardest Jobs to Fill, as reported by U.S. employers for 2009, are:

Engineers
Nurses
Skilled/Manual Trades
Teachers
Sales Representatives
Technicians
Drivers
IT Staff
Laborers
Machinist/Machine Operators

Each of the 10 job categories on the 2009 list has appeared on the Hardest Jobs to Fill list in the past. Technicians, Machinist/Machine Operators and Sales Representatives have been present all four years. Engineers, Drivers and Laborers have appeared three out of four years; and Nurses, Teachers, Skilled/Manual Trades and IT Staff have been present in two of the four years Manpower has performed the survey.

Even with unemployment at or near record levels in many communities, Manpower's research highlights the problem many employers are having finding individuals with the right combination of job-specific skills, experience, training and soft skills.

"While talk has slowed in the U.S. about the pending talent shortage, it is becoming more clear that there is a talent disconnect," said Melanie Holmes, vice president, world of work solutions for Manpower North America. "Our workforce needs to be more open to retraining and upskilling for jobs that are in demand. And, our government, business leaders and educational facilities need to take action together to ensure students are being enticed to enter these fields."

The U.S. findings are part of a Manpower global study that surveyed more than 39,000 employers across 33 countries and territories in January 2009. Positions in the skilled trades, sales, technical work and engineering remain the most difficult for employers to fill globally. Manpower surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. employers in the fourth annual survey to determine which positions employers are having difficulty filling this year.

Duquesne University Student Featured in CBS News Story on Job Hunting for College Grads

2009-05-28T11:37:00.005-04:00

We found an interesting blog post on Katey Couric's blog "Couric & Co." on the CBS News website. A local Duquesne University graduate is featured as well as other interesting aspects of the most difficult job market for graduates in 30 years. Follow the link here: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/05/27/couricandco/entry5044062.shtml

Tourism Rally Announced For June 10th in Harrisburg

2009-05-22T10:04:00.004-04:00

We just recieved this by email from the Pennsylvania Tourism and Lodging Association. The main intent of this rally is to protect JOBS right here in Pennsylvania. Use this link to go to their website:

http://www.patourism.org/iMails/090522rally/

Click on the picture to enlarge

Have Pittsburgh Job Seekers and Recruiters Jumped on the Social Media Band Wagon?

2009-05-06T09:17:00.006-04:00

Facebook. Twitter. LinkedIn. These and literally hundreds of other networking sites on the Internet, with new ones popping up everyday, have seen dramatic increases this year in both traffic and news headlines. Pittsburgh area jobseekers and recruiters are just now realizing the advantage of using these newer tools in their recruitment and search mix (along with the rest of the country).

LinkedIn, considered to be populated by a more professional networking audience, allows users to build out an online resume showing career history, awards, group memberships and education background. Users can communicate both publically and in private. Due to the popularity of employment networking on LinkedIn the site has been actively pursuing this as a revenue stream.

Facebook is more family and friends oriented. Once you create a profile on Facebook the site helps you locate people you might know by looking for similar school histories, hometowns and more. You can allow the site access to your email contact list and it will tell you if any of those emails are registered with the site. The biggest advantage Facebook offers jobseekers and recruiters are “Groups” established on the site specifically set up to help them find one another. These are usually uncovered by doing searches on the site or from “Friends” passing along information (called viral).

Then there is Twitter. Everyone it seems is still trying to figure out what to do with Twitter. How to use it and NOT use it has become the topic of hundreds of news articles, blog posts and even “Tweets” (postings on Twitter). Twitter is a “micro blogging” site that lets you tell, in 140 characters or less, what you are doing. Pick any topic, hobby, political view, or quest and you will find “Tweeps” (people who use twitter) that specialize in what you are looking for. This allows you to “Follow” any and all whom you find interesting and eventually build a list of hundreds or even thousands of “Tweeples” (also people who use Twitter). If you are so inclined, you also have the ability to build your own following depending on how public you wish to be. As a job seeker or recruiter this gives you the ability to find one another, or those with similar interests, and communicate on regular, even daily, bases.

How the social networking phenomena will change the recruitisphere is so far unknown. Some consider most of it a fad that will fade over time. Many believe it is only in its infancy and will eventually transform how jobs are filled even more than the advent of the big job board. If any of you who are reading this are not at least putting your toe in the water, you are missing out on a very important tool for your toolbox. Pittsburgh, it seems, is embracing this new way of communicating as well as most areas of the country. Local communities of people who otherwise have never met are forming bonds and taking advantage of this new ability to “get their story out”.

If you have read this with familiarity because you use these resources then you can feel good that you are ahead of the curve. If you have resisted taking the social networking plunge we ask “what are you waiting for”? Since it can take a few months to get up and running on these sites, and build a network that can be of value, starting now can mean the difference between a three month job search and a six month job search! But remember, these are additional tools in your toolbox. No successful carpenter uses only one tool!

The “Pittsburgh Promise” will bring young families back to the City of Pittsburgh

2009-04-16T10:27:00.008-04:00

On Tuesday night of this week four Pittsburgh television stations simulcast a story on a relatively new program in the City of Pittsburgh called “The Pittsburgh Promise”. In short, the Pittsburgh Promise guarantees any student in the Pittsburgh Public School System tuition dollars to go to any approved college or technical school in the state of Pennsylvania if they maintain a certain minimum grade point level both in High School and in college.

We are not talking about small change here. Beginning in 2012 each student could earn as much as $10,000 per year for 4 years. That’s $40,000 for the mathematically challenged! For any family with children deciding on where to buy a house, this eliminates completely all reasons not to live in the city that involve finances like higher taxes.

This opportunity is real and it is right now. We all have the ability to donate money into this fund. A very large portion of the funding for this program comes from a challenge grant from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. $85 million dollars in contributions over the next 10 years are dependent on raising an additional $15 million dollars by June 30th, 2009. At this writing there is $3 million dollars to go.

We feel this is an amazing opportunity to help revitalize the city. As quoted often during last Tuesday’s broadcast, “The vitality of a region depends on the prosperity of the city at its core”. This program will revitalize the city by bringing families back thereby increasing population and property values while helping to improve the quality of education offered to all students in the public school system. Improving educational oppportunities will guarantee a better workforce in the future making our area even more attractive to companies with jobs.

Sites, Sites, Everywhere are sites. Blocking Out the Scenery, Breaking My Mind…

2009-04-09T09:09:00.003-04:00

By Pete Denio, General Manager, EmploymentGuide.com, Pittsburgh, PA

Whether you are a jobseeker or a recruiter there have never been more choices to make when deciding which tools to use in either finding your dream job or finding a million dollar candidate. According to Weddle’s (a “guide to resources for employment, personal development and career success”) who publishes an annual User’s Choice award for job boards (Top 30 sites), there are over 40,000 recruitment sites on the Internet today! Add in print, broadcast, billboards and even social networks (on and offline) and the choices become dizzying.

With so many choices how can a job seeker most efficiently use his or her time and how can a recruiter most efficiently spend precious recruiting dollars while still finding qualified candidates?

The answer lies with what any Marketing Director would advise an advertiser:

1) Do not Put All Your Eggs in One Basket, Diversify

Utilizing only one media outlet, say, the pop music radio station in your city, to launch an advertising campaign misses a large part of a products potential audience. Using a media mix that includes broadcast, print and Internet is going to greatly increase both the number of people reached as well as the number of times each person hears the message (frequency).

The same goes with a job search. Our best advice is to find one or two “mass audience” job boards you are most comfortable with but then include two or three “niche” job boards or specialty job boards that cater to the specific industry you are pursuing (Sales, Healthcare, truck driving, etc).

2) Don’t be afraid to try new things

The world of communication, branding and reaching consumers is constantly changing faster than at any time in history. The same goes for job seeking and recruitment. Although a consistent campaign is well advised (that is, the message you are trying to convey) never be happy with what you are getting for your return on investment (R.O.I.), whether your investment is your time or your company’s money. The very latest buzzword (which may be already passé by years end!) is social networking (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Many job boards are incorporating social networking aspects into their websites.

3) Your Message Will Be the Single Largest Influence on Success

If you are a job seeker, being unhappy with results from a job board can easily be due to a poorly written resume. If you are a recruiter, poor results can be due to an ineffective or poorly written job posting. Seek advice from experts. Paying a resume service can mean the difference between getting the job you want sooner rather than later. For recruiters, carefully writing out job descriptions and reading them from a job seeker’s standpoint, or consulting with media professionals, will improve the quality of candidate regardless of which media is used. A media’s potential effectiveness is not only determined by how it reaches its target audience (or yours), but also in how well put together the message is.

4) BE PATIENT

No effective marketing campaign can be implemented in one or two weeks. Nor can a campaign’s results, or potential results, be determined in one or two weeks. Both job hunting and recruiting are processes, not events.

Using the advice presented here will help improve your results, whether you are the buyer or the seller. Develop your message, pick a mixture of media, always be looking for new opportunities in media choice and be patient. Good things will come!

TRG Customer Solutions to Add Over 80 Jobs in Pittsburgh

2009-04-08T14:53:00.003-04:00

TRG Customer Solutions announced today that it is expanding staff on two separate business-to-business sales programs in its Pittsburgh operations center. In total, the Company expects to add over 80 new employees over the next several months.

TRG Customer Solutions provides customer care, technical support and telesales services to Fortune 500 companies in the telecommunications, financial services, technology, healthcare, and utility industries. The programs to be expanded in Pittsburgh are on behalf of a nationally known telecommunications company. One of the programs in particular involves selling a variety of products including data services, technical support, wireless devices and other telephone access services to small to medium sized businesses.

"We are expanding these programs to service our client's desired growth since launching the programs in late 2008," said Frank Kelly, CEO, TRG Customer Solutions. "TRG is seeking candidates with strong selling skills that have at least 1 - 2 years business-to-business sales experience."

Work hours for both programs are Monday through Friday with one program operating from 8AM until 5 PM and the other from 11AM until 7:30PM. All positions are expected to be filled with local personnel, who will be required to complete a 2 or 3 week training program, during which time they will be paid. Interested persons should contact TRG Customer Solutions by calling Valene Schlichtkrull, TRG's Recruiter, at 412-645-6001. In addition, the company will be holding a job fair in its offices at 200 Industry Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15275 on Tuesday, April 14 from 11:00AM until 1:00PM and from 6:00PM until 8:00PM. Candidates are requested to bring a resume and contact information for their references.

Lionsgate Studios Looking for Extras for Filming April 22nd and 23rd

2009-04-08T07:37:00.003-04:00

We received this email from the Producers of “WARRIOR”:

Warrior Extras Casting is looking to book people for 4/22 and 4/23. Please respond if you are over 21 and available to work.

WARRIOR, a Lionsgate Studios feature film shooting in Pittsburgh, is seeking extras to participate in the filming of a staged "smoker" - an unlicensed mixed martial arts fight- as fans. Background actors age 21 and up of all types are needed.

There is a special need for bikers- as in Harleys, not Ducatis- both male and female for this location. Shooting will take place in Clairton on Wednesday, April 22nd, and Thursday, April 23rd, beginning in late afternoon. Background will be required to stay for the entire day of shooting, usually around twelve hours but often going longer.

Pay is $100/12 hours, with overtime as needed. Actors will be required to provide their own wardrobe and transportation, and may be asked to use their vehicles in the film for an additional $25. If available for this date, please send an e-mail to warriorextras@gmail.com with "SMOKER" in the subject line to be considered.

Include your name, e-mail address, phone number, photo of yourself, and photo of your vehicle. Please only respond if available for the specified dates and location. The shoot day may start late and end late. www.warriorextras.com

As Expected, Pittsburgh Region Continues to Shed Jobs in February

2009-03-31T08:41:00.003-04:00

With about 1,500 job seekers coming to our job fair at Mellon Arena on March 24th, the 45 companies and schools in attendance are reporting one of the best qualified groups of job seekers seen in years. We knew this was the largest attendance we have had since 2003. This also coincides with the last time Pittsburgh had seen year over year job losses that approach the levels reported for February. The Pittsburgh Metro unemployment rate rose to 6.9%, up from 6.5% in January. The last time Pittsburgh had a rate this high was 1994. The state unemployment rate was 7.5 % in February and the national rate was 8.1%.

With a diversified economy, the Pittsburgh region has been better off than in past decades when steel and manufacturing accounted for a much higher percentage of jobs. Healthcare and education in particular have helped mitigate the effects of this recession buffering our area from the brunt of job losses like those seen in southern and western states. Also contributing to the relative strength of our economy is a housing industry that, because it was never part of the national housing bubble, has not seen the kinds of declines in housing values seen elsewhere.

Pittsburgh area recruiters that we speak with, though not as pessimistic as over the past three to six months, are still showing extreme caution in their hiring plans going into spring. Until they see a sustained improvement in economic news, job losses in our area will continue to mount. On the plus side, we are starting to see a slight uptick in the search for sales people in various industries.

For more details on the February Pittsburgh job market see the Pittsburgh Tribune Review article here. For more insight into what the numbers mean visit Harold Miller's Pittsburgh's Future blog.

EmploymentGuide.com, HealthCareerWeb.com and the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Help Pittsburgh’s Unemployed Workers

2009-03-23T11:24:00.001-04:00

2009 Pittsburgh Diversity Employment and Career Education Expo at Mellon Arena
The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com® partner to sponsor “Putting America Back to Work” Job Fair Series in Pittsburgh, PA

This job fair is open to all job seekers and admission is free. Please enter Gate 10 at Mellon Arena from 10AM to 2PM.

Pittsburgh, PA, 3/23/2009– In response to the current economic crisis and a tightening labor market, The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com have combined efforts to bring together jobseekers with companies who seek their talents.

On Tuesday, March 24th, from 10:00AM to 2:00PM at Mellon Arena more than 40 Pittsburgh area employers and schools will meet and interview hundreds of job seekers.

Companies and schools attending include:

Aramark
Army National Guard
Burns & Scalo Roofing
Community College of Allegheny County
H&R Block

CCAC/ Modern Office Systems Training
Life Pittsburgh
Mainstay Life Services
New Century Careers
SMG
Transitional Services
Waddell & Reed Financial Services
Echostar
Haemonetics
HCR/Manorcare
All-State Career School
Greenery Care Center
Cardworks Servicing
YWCA
PIA Truck Driving School
Rent-A-Center
U.S. Navy
Parkvale Bank
Giant Eagle

Market District

Getgo

Giant Eagle Express
Labor-Management Clearinghouse (building trades)

Brightside Academy

City of Pittsburgh

CEP / Clayton Academy

CVS Pharmacy

Cintas

Academy of Court Reporting

Verizon Wireless

Allegheny Answering Service

Reliance First Capital

Kaplan School

Gallagher Home Healthcare

Baptist Homes

Futurity First Insurance Company

CynaMed Healthcare

Lionsgate Studios, Movie Extras, "WARRIOR"

Scott Medical Center

And more

Co-sponsored by The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh and EmploymentGuide.com, the 2009 Pittsburgh Employment and Career Education Expo is part of the “Putting America Back to Work” Job Fair Series, taking place in more than 50 cities across the country throughout 2009. The job fair series allows jobseekers to have personal contact with perspective employers.
Participating employers will seek to fill hourly to mid level positions ranging from entry-level to management and they represent industries such as health care, customer service, hospitality, finance, sales, insurance, skilled trades, transportation, security and more.

Adding to the success of this new job fair series is support from associations interested in helping their members including: the AARP Foundation, the National Urban League, and the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

In an era when so many are feeling depressed here’s a story about a father and a son that will help put our problems in perspective.

2009-03-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

Read the story first…then watch the video

Rick Reilly for Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated Issue date: June 20, 2005, p. 88

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots. But compared with Dick Hoyt, I’m lousy.

Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars — all in the same day.
Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?
And what has Rick done for his father? Not much — except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.
“He’ll be a vegetable the rest of his life,” Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.”
But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. “No way,” Dick says he was told. “There’s nothing going on in his brain.”

“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.
Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? “Go Bruins!” And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, “Dad, I want to do that.” Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described “porker” who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. “Then it was me who was handicapped,” Dick says. “I was sore for two weeks.”

That day changed Rick’s life. “Dad,” he typed, “when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!” And that sentence changed Dick’s life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon. “No way,” Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren’t quite a single runner, and they weren’t quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time for Boston the following year.
Then somebody said, “Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?” How’s a guy who never learned to swim and hadn’t ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.

Now they’ve done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don’t you think? Hey, Dick, why not see how you’d do on your own? “No way,” he says. Dick does it purely for “the awesome feeling” he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992 — only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don’t keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time. “No question about it,” Rick types. “My dad is the Father of the Century.”

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. “If you hadn’t been in such great shape,” one doctor told him, “you probably would’ve died 15 years ago.” So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other’s life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father’s Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy. “The thing I’d most like,” Rick types, “is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.”

Pink Slip Party Tuesday March 24th from 2:00PM to 5:00PM!

2009-03-12T10:43:00.003-04:00

What is a Pink Slip Party?

A Pink Slip Party is a grass-roots phenomenon that took off during the dot com crash many years ago. They have become popular once again due to the economic conditions we all find ourselves in again. Pink Slip Parties bring together job seekers, recruiters and followers with a renewed sense of purpose and hope for the future. These gatherings offer great networking opportunities, connecting those who have been, or are about to be, pink slipped with Human Resource and recruiting professionals from companies looking for new talent.

Attending a Pink Slip Party is a smart move. If you are a job seeker, you can learn about new job opportunities and you’ll be able to showcase your talents in a relaxed, friendly environment. If you are a recruiter, you can meet with potential candidates to fill positions within your company and make a one-on-one connection that you may not get from a “typical” job interview.

This event will be downtown on Tuesday, March 24, 2009 from 2 – 5 p.m. at Mullaney’s Harp & Fiddle on 2329 Penn Ave. in the Strip District right after our Diversity Employment Expo at the Mellon Arena. The event will benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s “Team In Training” (TNT) program and will provide a unique opportunity for job seekers to network with local recruiters and their peers, as well as learning about the TNT endurance sports training program. A $10 donation to LLS will be collected at the door, all going to a great cause. Recruiters from throughout the Western PA area are invited to attend and are welcomed. Those interested in attending and/or sponsoring should contact Megan Nemecek at 412-697-2863, or email her at megan.nemecek@lls.org.

What Should You Expect From a Job Fair?

2009-03-06T08:33:00.000-05:00

Having put on job fairs in the Pittsburgh region for almost ten years now, we have seen the events evolve over time from both an employer and job seeker standpoint. With the maturation (and use) of the Internet as used for recruiting purposes more employers use job fairs today as a way to get face time with some of those resumes they get from their websites. Some employers consider a job fair to be informational as much as a direct interview-hire event. Many companies will actually interview at the event but still ask that you “apply online”.

Job seekers who have been to multiple job fairs over the years have a better understanding of this and therefore come better prepared. Quite often we hear job seekers complain that the particular employer they came to see was not actually interviewing at the event. Because of this they were disappointed and considered the event a waste of their time.

Although many employers do still interview at job fairs it is important for job seekers to understand what to expect from the company they most want to see. This can be done by researching the company website, looking for whether they accept applications on their website (look for a tab that says “Careers”). If you see a company is going to be at an event and want to know what to expect by going to speak with them CALL the company ahead of time and ask (do not rely on email as this has become too impersonal – you want to make an impression). Often representatives will be able to tell you what their policies are. If they will be interviewing at the event, you’ll be sure of this beforehand and can prepare accordingly. If they are there for informational purposes, that also is great! The people you speak with will usually be from the human resources department and will be a great source of information on work environment, benefits, pay structure and who an “ideal” candidate would be. This gives you an opportunity to customize your resume before you submit it on the company website and increase your chances of getting an interview. You also may find out the job isn’t really what you were looking for and allows you to focus your job searching efforts in a better direction.

Whether you are a job seeker or a recruiter those that get the most from any job fair are those who best sell themselves and either their skill-set or the company they represent. Company representatives should never just sit behind their tables frowning at job seekers as they walk by. Stand in front of your table and greet people. Job seekers should always smile and be prepared to ask lots of questions about the company and what it is like to work there.

Having a the best possible idea of what you will get at a job fair ahead of time, whether you are doing the hiring or looking for employment, will help make any job fair better and more productive for you.

Free Job Training From the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh for Direct Support Professionals Who Work w/ Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (MH/MR)

2009-03-02T15:32:00.002-05:00

We received this notice from Facebook…

Do you know someone who is looking for a new, more rewarding career or is currently unemployed? Please help us pass on the information below!

On March 30, the Emmaus Community of Pittsburgh, in conjunction with CCAC and other providers, will be commencing the second session of it's FREE 8-week training program, the Direct Support Professional Education Program.

As unemployment in our region climbs, the need for direct support professionals who work with persons with intellectual disabilities (mental retardation) in community residential settings (i.e., group homes) remains high! If you or someone you know is interested in exploring a new career helping others, please contact us for more information or for an application by calling 412-381-0277.

The class runs 8 weeks and is held at the CCAC-Northside campus. Participants receive training on the history and current state of the MR system and the job responsibilities of a direct support professional, as well as a hands-on practicum with a local provider and all of the certifications required for hire in the field (including CPR/First Aid and medication administration).

This is a FANTASTIC opportunity to get involved in a highly rewarding line of work. The course is provided FREE of charge, thanks to a generous grant from FISA Foundation. All graduates receive a Certificate from CCAC and are qualified to work as direct support professionals with potential for advancement in the field.For more info, please call Emmaus at 412-381-0277.

Pittsburgh YWCA Hosting MICROENTERPRISE SYMPOSIUM 2009 at CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY

2009-02-20T13:47:00.003-05:00

A Micro-enterprise by definition is a business with five or fewer employees, small enough to require initial capital of $35,000 or less.

According to the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, one out of six U.S. private sector employees’ works for a microenterprise.

The YWCA Greater Pittsburgh supports Micro-enterprise through our Enterprising Women Program.

Cost is $35.00 that includes lunch.

Agenda:

February 28th, 2009 —- 8:30 AM—4:-00 PM
Carnegie Mellon University —- University Center,
5000 forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Opening Keynote Address by Dr. Carl Knoblock,
District Director of Small Business Administration
Pittsburgh District Office

Technology: Inexpensive Impact of the Internet
The Power of Blogging, Donna Baxter will present the impact and affordability of blogging to market the small business. She is the webmaster of The Soul Pitt.com

Face book – Twitter – MySpace Internet Advertising, Google Analytics
How does a small business market to the masses on the internet social networks? Work shop presenters are Students in Free Enterprise from Carnegie Mellon University

Marketing: Generate “Buzz” About Your Company
Smart Reader
Chris Engler, Pittsburgh Business Times
Branding a Business for the Marketplace, Dr. Evelyn Pierce
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University
Sharpening the Elevator Pitch,
Vernard Alexander, Marketing-Networking Exchange
Social Entrepreneurship, Dr. Milton Cofield,
Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University
Entrepreneurship in the Current Economy, Lyzona Marshall, ABD
Assistant Professor of Business, Seton Hill University;
OnaMar Associates, LLC

Regulations: Legal is Beneficial
IRS Laws and Regulations for the Microenterprise, Jim Merante
Why Register as a Business-Becoming Certified, Elizabeth Bowers, Western Region of the State of Pennsylvania, Department of General Services
Finance: Creatively Financing the Microenterprise
Financing the Smallest Business, Carl Knoblock, SBA and Bridgeway Capital
Raising Venture Capital, Dr. Thomas J. Hajduk, Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University

For more information, please contact Alice Williams, Business Support Specialist, YWCA
412-255-6743 • awilliams@ywcapgh.org

A Super Bowl Time Out from Job News

2009-01-30T09:37:00.003-05:00

Brian O’Neill of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette has written what we consider to be the ultimate definition of the relationship between southwestern Pennsylvania its team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.

How this relationship transcends geography, social and even our work lives is described in a way that any non-citizen of Steelers Nation may finally understand.

To quote a small portion:
“The real Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh of the mind, extends beyond our city's freakishly small 56 square miles and into the suburbs of neighboring counties. You could even say, as E.J. Montini suggests, that Pittsburgh extends into all those Steelers bars dotting the country, the legacy of the great Diaspora caused by the implosion of the steel industry in the 1970s and '80s”.

“There is almost no social situation where a Steelers jersey is frowned upon. Work. Church. School. Prom. The local desire to wear the names of other people on their black-and-gold backs can confuse newcomers. One reader called me earlier this month to say she'd just moved to Pittsburgh last summer and was working in a day care center where "every baby in the zero-to-3 group" wore Steelers paraphernalia on Fridays”.

Read Brian O’Neill’s full article here.

Pittsburgh Job Market on a Slippery Slope

2009-01-28T11:49:00.003-05:00

As the recession begins to deepen in the Pittsburgh region we are seeing an inability of local employers to make decisions about their recruitment plans. We continue to speak with hundreds of Pittsburgh area recruiters each week and are hearing from many of them that they have open positions they need to fill but either are not allowed, at least for the short term, to spend money in the effort, or are fearful of filling a position only to be told within weeks or months that they have to lay the new employee off.

Pittsburgh recruiters are currently just holding their breath. Many of our postings have communicated how we in Pittsburgh are fairing better than most areas around the country. The next month or two should really set the tone of how hard we are ultimately hit for all of 2009.

Most of the layoff announcements that have been publically made over the past month or two that affect Pittsburgh workers have been primarily companies with a national presence (Target, Ericsson, Home Depot, Circuit City) or large financial institutions (PNC Bank, BNY Mellon).

Healthcare and education continue to be the strength of our current job market condition. By keeping, and even continuing to increase, overall jobs in these areas of strength, other area support industries (retail, hospitality and other service industries) have been able to maintain more strength (jobs) than they would otherwise. This is different than in 2001-2002 when we lost 10,000 jobs from US Air.

The most optimistic forecasts predict the recession will continue to deepen until at least June. We will continue to report on strengths and weaknesses for our local job market as we see them.

To try and leave with at least one piece of good news, Single Source Roofing will be adding 50 jobs soon as they move into their new corporate headquarters in the Southpoint Business Park (see announcement from the Pittsburgh Business Times) and Yellow cab will be expanding as they add new service to the south hills area (see Pittsburgh Post gazette article).

When is Hot Cold?

2009-01-19T11:50:00.003-05:00

Over the past two weeks both Forbes magazine and the Monster Employment Index showed Pittsburgh to be one of the best job markets in the country. As good as that sounds it does not mean the job market in Pittsburgh is currently great. It is just better than most other areas of the U.S. The Monster Employment Index names Pittsburgh a top 5 market while the Forbes article includes Pittsburgh as one of the 10 Best job markets as of December.

The Monster index at the same time showed a dramatic decline for Pittsburgh during December and based on what we are seeing currently this trend will continue into January. Without question the best job categories continue to be Healthcare and Education. We are also seeing some strength in Protective Services and Drivers.

By far, here in Pittsburgh as with most of the country, the weakest demand is in Retail and Sales. We continue to monitor closely the local environment and will report changes as we se them.

You Have to Keep Laughing in Times Like This...

2008-12-22T15:33:00.002-05:00

The Experts Back up What We’ve Been Saying All Year about the Pittsburgh Job Market

2008-12-15T12:40:00.001-05:00

Whether you are currently unemployed or fearful you may be soon, Pittsburgh is one of the better places in the country to be living right now. We have certainly seen a decline in opportunities compared to last year but the decline is not as severe as many other areas around United States. Here are some of the recent reports on the Pittsburgh job market:

Harold Miller, Pittsburgh’s Future Blog

Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Pittsburgh Business Times

Channel 4, WTAE

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

Pittsburgh Tribune Review 2

The first quarter of 2009 will continue to show deterioration in Pittsburgh’s job market. We’ll keep on watch to give reports as we see them and report ourselves on what we are seeing directly from Pittsburgh are employers.

Pittsburgh's Hottest and Weakest Job Categories

2008-11-14T10:35:00.004-05:00

It’s mid November and with the national economic news enough to scare even the sanest of us into a catatonic state what is a job seeker to do? Regardless of your current employment status; safely employed, under employed, barely employed or unemployed be grateful if you live in the Pittsburgh region, still considered one of the better job markets in the country.

With that said we are unquestioningly seeing a softening in demand in a number of job categories while a few are surprisingly maintaining and even increasing demand. Most positions in healthcare and education are the top in demand. Weakest job categories in Pittsburgh include retail and automotive (not surprisingly), although mechanics and body shop technicians are still in high demand. What is a bit surprising is the current strength of hospitality, banking, customer service and maintenance technicians. Construction (mostly commercial/industrial) worker demand also remains strong factoring in seasonality.

What next month or next year will bring is literally anybodies guess. We have read projections as optimistic as a rebound as early as next fall and as pessimistic as late 2010 (again, national figures). We here tend to be optimists. The new administration will at the very least offer new hope to the majority of the country. With new hope comes improved optimism. With improved optimism (and lower gas prices!) dollars will begin flowing again from consumers, even if it starts as just a trickle.

September 2008 Sees Improved Job Count For Pittsburgh Region

2008-10-28T13:08:00.002-04:00

Although the data was taken just prior to the burgeoning financial crises, the Pittsburgh Metro in September saw an increase of over 7,000 jobs from September of 2007. How the job picture will look over the next two months in our area is anybody’s guess, but multiple points of interest have been expressed by area economists. Articles in the Post Gazette and the Tribune-Review show different levels of optimism. We at the Employment Guide saw a relatively strong September but experienced a softening in October compared to a year ago. Remember, we are solely dependent on the placement of help-wanted ads or help-wanted Internet text postings. Our prediction, based on our direct business experience, is that we will see a moderate drop on total jobs in the Pittsburgh Metro when the October numbers are released in another month. As noted in all of the area economist quotes, our strength in healthcare will be the main mitigating factor of how many jobs are lost. Retail is one area being negatively affected in Pittsburgh, although with the opening of Nordstrom and LL Bean the amount of weakness will be diminished at least in the near term.