The Top Three Industries Hiring for 2012

Despite bleak news on the job front for the past year, some large companies are planning on hiring more employees. According to a recent article in Industry Leader Magazine, the top three companies planning on hiring are:


1. McDonalds
2. Lowes
3. Home Depot


It’s no wonder that the top fast food retailer is hiring for 2012. Since they attract a younger, more mobile employee, with a lot of part-time positions, there are always turnover and open positions. The fast pace and long hours standing on your feet, dealing with all types of customers is difficult for some individuals.


The New Year may be the year for re-evaluating career opportunities and opening up your options. While making double-pounders with cheese and a side of fries may not be your idea of a challenging career, McDonalds is a huge organization with lots of opportunity for growth. A person with excellent skills and work ethic can move up rather quickly in a company where a lot of employees only want to work part time.


Lowes and Home Depot are thriving with the new trend of remodeling and DIY. With the collapse of the home-building industry, homeowners are making the most of what they have. They are spending money on refurbishing, remodeling and are doing it themselves at a growing rate. TV shows like DIY, This Old House and the other scores of home remodeling shows make tearing out walls and installing hardwood floors exciting and easy to do.


These companies are opening new stores and need talented people in all different types of trades and skill levels to offer what they are known for—expert customer service. If you are a plumber, electrician, contractor, welder or construction worker out of a job, they can use you at Home Depot or Lowes. The pay may not be the same, but you will be able to use your expertise in helping a do-it-yourselfer and help make the company profitable. These companies, like McDonalds, have hundreds of opportunities in management to move into. You may be starting at the bottom, but you’ll learn a lot, work for solid companies that are expanding, and position yourself for promotion.


Another plus is getting your foot in the door at these companies doesn’t require a college degree. Getting to know the business from the ground up is valued, and you will have an opportunity to work in just about every capacity as you move up the ranks. What better person to supervise a McDonald’s outlet than a person who has worked the Drive-Thru window and handled the food prep line. You gain credibility, expertise, and knowledge needed to lead and mentor others.


What other industries offer a foot in the door to a great career? List your favorites in the Comment section below.


Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for phillyjobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at phillyjobs.com and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

Is college worth it?

Once we have passed a certain point in our lives, a little reflection on the past becomes natural. When the sailing becomes rough, the tendency to ask What if...? becomes strong as well.

So it shouldn't have surprised me when a friend half my age asked me as we headed back to our Northeast Philly homes late one night, "If you could do college over again, would you?"

Actually, my friend had a good reason for asking that question, for he was about to do just that.

My friend is a late twentysomething who got into a top-drawer university after graduating high school. He never completed his studies because he found his major did not sync with his interests and because he found work that paid handsomely without a bachelor's degree.

Some years later, he decided to leave the corporate life in order to pursue his art. His talent is immense, and his poetry alternately profound and witty, but it hasn't put much bread on the table. So now that economic reality has bit, he is reassessing what he can do going forward to cease being broke all the time.

Finishing that degree is one of the options he is weighing, hence the question.

I told him, "Absolutely! But I would do some things differently this time around."

While I think that we value brainwork too much and manual work not enough, there is no denying that getting a college degree is the best thing one can do for one's career, and getting an advanced degree is even better. Bachelor's degree holders earn on average nearly double what high school graduates earn, and advanced degree holders earn three times as much.

Moreover, thanks to the spread of continuing education programs, it is now never too late to start college, or even start over. For instance, my friend will likely pursue a different major than the one he chose the first time around once he returns to school. Many colleges and universities offer programs that working adults, or adults looking for work, can take on their own schedules, and distance learning programs let them pursue their degrees from the comfort of home, while on the road, or wherever they may be.

What I would do differently were I to do college over is pay much closer attention to the college-career link. Forging that link involves more than choice of major: at the undergraduate level, it also involves things like participating in certain extracurricular activities. Adult learners can mirror that behavior by tending diligently to professional networking opportunities with both fellow students and contacts "off campus."

Going back to school, or going for the first time, can also help keep job seekers focused and disciplined, which helps with staying on the path of the seeker. So maybe that What if...? question might not be just idle speculation - it could be the jumping off point for a successful second act in one's life. If you are thinking about starting over with a new career, you might want to start by exploring the educational options on PhillyJobs.com.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is a veteran freelance writer, editor and public relations professional who lives in Philadelphia. Besides blogging for PhillyJobs.com, he has written for numerous publications and websites, would be happy to do your resume, and is himself actively seeking career opportunities on Beyond.com. Check out his LinkedIn profile and read his other posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com.

Back to School

Recently, I completed a short stint as a substitute teacher at a local school that specializes in teaching English to speakers of other languages. Most of the students there were enrolled because they wanted to attend an American college or university, something none of them can do without a very good score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). But there were some who were there simply to learn English so they could advance in their chosen careers as scientists, engineers or diplomats.

I was there because enrollments were up and classes were oversubscribed. A colleague explained it to me this way: "When times are tough and jobs are hard to find, people go back to school."

It's not a bad idea. Going back to school while jobless lets you freshen and update your knowledge in your chosen field - or even learn a new one if you would like to expand your employment horizons. Community and technical colleges offer many programs geared towards specific career paths, such as nursing, hospitality and restaurant management, or retail, and the better ones often have ties with employers that can give you a leg up on jobs after you graduate. If you attend an adult learning program at a four-year college or university, you may also be able to use the services of the school's career planning and placement office to identify career paths and jobs you can apply for after receiving your degree.

If you're in management, or considering becoming part of it, a number of area colleges and universities offer programs in organizational dynamics that can help you understand the "biology" and "sociology" of corporate hierarchies. One such program is Penn's program in organizational dynamics, one of the oldest and most respected in the region.

Many working adults find the flexible part-time schedules offered by for-profit career colleges like the University of Phoenix meet their needs for staying up to date on their skills on their own time. Job-seekers can also take advantage of such programs. A number of institutions, both nonprofit and for-profit, also offer degree programs you can complete online for the ultimate in flexibility and convenience.

For Pennsylvanians who are collecting extended unemployment compensation benefits, enrolling in an education or training program meets the job search requirements for filing weekly claims.

The Education Index at PhillyJobs.com contains links to hundreds of college and university programs geared towards working professionals. It's a great place to start your search for education that can help advance your career - or start a new one.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith has been blogging for PhillyJobs.com since 2010. In addition to launching award-winning newspapers and newsletters at the University of Pennsylvania and Widener University, Sandy is a veteran writer whose articles and essays have appeared in several local and regional media outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia CityPaper, and PGN, and on several Web sites. He is also an active participant on several discussion boards, including PhiladelphiaSpeaks.com, where he posts as “MarketStEl.” He has been supporting himself through a combination of freelance and part-time work and unemployment compensation since early 2009 and is himself an active job-seeker. Read more of his posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com and follow him to Beyond.com for more job opportunities.

How to Improve Your Career in 2011

With the dawn of a new year, now is the perfect time to evaluate how you can make improvements to your current career situation. Read on to learn about how some simple practices can work wonders for your career in 2011.


Update your resume - Whether or not you are actively looking for a job, it is always a great idea to keep your cover letter and resume up-to-date – just in case – the job of your dreams suddenly becomes available. Plus, it is always a good idea to think about both your accomplishments and goals at this time of year. Also, if you do not have an online presence, now is the perfect time to create an online resume and/or a LinkedIn Profile.


Learn a new career-related skill - Depending on your career, you can take a course at your local college, learn a new computer language, keep abreast of the news surrounding your industry, or take a personal development course. Any type of learning will surely make you a more interesting candidate for promotions and just make you a more interesting and well-rounded person in general.


Take care of yourself first – before you can be a helpful employee, you must first be in excellent health – both mentally and physically – yourself. In other words then, you should ensure that you are getting adequate exercise, proper nutrition, and proper rest. It is also important that you do not overwork yourself – as this activity will only result in burn out in the long run. Further, a good work-life balance can work wonders for your career as you will find that you will be more relaxed, focused and efficient during work hours.


Find a mentor and/or become a mentor – depending on the stage of your career, you should consider finding a role model to learn from or becoming one yourself. If you are thinking of trying to find a mentor, do not hesitate to do so as a mentor can offer you excellent guidance and advice. Remember also that a mentor does not have to be someone within your company – although it could as well. On the other hand, if you are at a comfortable stage in your career, you may consider becoming a mentor yourself. After all, becoming a mentor to another person as helping another individual achieve personal and professional success can be extremely rewarding for you.


To conclude, if you resolve to make just a few small positive career changes in 2011, you can achieve amazing results.



Ready to supercharge your job search? Visit PhillyJobs.com.




Larisa Redins is a full time writer and editor with degrees in both Arts and Biological Science. She writes about career issues and other topics for a variety of international websites and magazines.