The Recruiter

Crystal Ball Series pt. 4: The final chapter

All good things might come to an end, but at least they don’t have to go quietly. That’s why we’re ending our Crystal Ball Series in the Southeast, a region known for hot temperatures and hotter tech opportunities.

No wonder, considering this part of the country is home to the nation’s largest research park, second largest financial center and the ninth largest metro area. Let’s look at them more closely through our Crystal Ball:

Research Triangle Park

Charlotte

Atlanta

Thanks for following our series around the country! We hope you gleaned helpful insights about what jobs and skills are available across the U.S., and are thinking more deeply about your own employment future. Good luck!

Posted by Jim L.

Crystal Ball Series pt. 3: Across the country

Surprise! Life does exist between Los Angeles and New York ;-). And while our next four areas aren’t in exactly one region, they just go to show there are plenty of tech opportunities for savvy IT pros anywhere in the U.S.

The secret is knowing where to look. And we can help you look around by looking ahead. Crystal Ball, show us what’s happening in 2008 for these tech hot spots:

Northern N.J.

Philadelphia

Cleveland

Indianapolis

Our Crystal Ball Series will wrap up on Thursday with the Southeast, so come on down for the final installment. See you then!

Crystal Ball Series pt. 2: West Coast roundup

It truly is the Wild West when it comes to our next four IT markets. Anchored by Silicon Valley, these locations make up our country’s most famous tech corridor, and are renowned for their wealth of talent and innovation.

So what do these IT hotbeds hold in store for you in 2008? Let’s consult our handy crystal ball:

Portland

Seattle

Silicon Valley

Southern California

We’ll swing over to the Midwest and East Coast next Monday, so make sure to stop by for another look-see.

Posted by Jim L.

The Crystal Ball Series gets rollin’

We like to dabble in divination on The Recruiter. But I don’t mean tea leaves, tarot cards or astrology. I’m talking about educated predictions based on solid, real-time demand from customers, and experiences of IT workers and recruiters in the field.

That’s why we’re ringing in the 2008 job market with our first-ever Crystal Ball Series, a four-part forecast of the hottest jobs and skills for the coming year. It’s grounded in our analysis of Yoh’s research during 2007, and will ultimately cover 15 markets and over 40 skill sets.

Plus, you’ll get to hear these prophecies in my own voice, thanks to our on-the-go podcast snippets. And remember, you can agree, disagree, elaborate, pontificate or otherwise sound off about these outlooks at any point in the comments section.

Let’s kick off the clairvoyance by gazing into our first four markets:

Dallas

Houston

Phoenix

St. Louis

Check back later this week for our West Coast roundup!

Posted by Jim L.

A Brazen Chat with Penelope Trunk

Passion. Moxie. Gumption. That's what brazen careerists are made of, according to Penelope Trunk.

She's living proof of her own philosophy. How else could she go from playing professional volleyball; to working at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange; to writing Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success, her blog, and career columns for The Boston Globe and Yahoo Finance?

Of course, regular Recruiter readers might already know this, since we've discussed Penelope's articles in the past. But we upped the ante last week when we hosted Penelope via podcast, and got her fun, practical, unfiltered take on all things career.

Listen here to catch Penelope discussing unorthodox career development, best hiring practices for Gen Y candidates, and her newly minted “braided career” concept. Or download the chat for later, or pass along to friends.

In any event, carve out 30 minutes for this expert voice. You won't regret it.

Posted by Jim L.

Calling on Boston Herald's Rochelle Stewart

When did job hopping (a negative) turn into job switching (a positive)?

Rochelle Stewart has the answer. She's a writer for the Boston Herald's education section and a contributor to WickedLocalJobs.com.

We rang Rochelle to get her take on the latest job search trend: shortening tenures and frequent career changes. With job security decreasing, it's not enough to stay at one company for a lifetime. People need something more -- and they're leaving to get it.

But does the stigma of short-term employment still haunt resumes? Rochelle explains how job seekers can structure application materials, change fields and successfully advance careers without hurting themselves later.

She also shares tips on how to prepare for change while maintaining current job performance or satisfaction, and how job switching affects companies and managers in the long run. It's a jam-packed podcast, so listen here, download to enjoy later and share with friends and colleagues!

MSNBC Columnist Eve Tahmincioglu Rings the Recruiter

Today, our featured Recruiter podcast guest is Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC.com’s ‘Your Career’ columnist. She’s also the author of From the Sandbox to the Corner Office, and chief blogger at CareerDiva.net.

We called on Eve to tackle a topic rankling many recent grads: the concept of paying dues. The idea immediately conjures visions of getting coffee, making copies, and wishing you were making the 100K you think you already deserve.

But as Eve points out, paying dues can be essential to a long, productive career. That means young employees who try to sidestep this rite of passage might stunt their job growth before it even starts.

Eve breaks down exactly when and how you should -- and shouldn’t -- pay dues. She also shares top job-hunting tips, and offers advice to hiring managers about mentoring and training young workers.

This is a must-listen interview for any recent graduate or manager of recent grads. Listen online here, or download for later to your iPod (or other device). Either way, let us know what you think!