This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but one of the best places to look for a job can actually be at a firm that just laid a bunch of people off. Depending on the reasons behind the lay offs, you might find that such companies are ready to do a round of hiring.
Recently, an acquaintance of mine was laid off — along with dozens of others — from a local company. Imagine our surprise when the Classifieds showed job openings in that company two weeks later! The reason? In the interest of cost-cutting, the company laid off around 50 of …read more

In these times of economic turmoil, one of the biggest casualties has been personal credit. Many people are seeing a drop to their credit scores, and finding it difficult to get the best rates on a number of products and services. This includes car leases, for those who prefer to lease their cars. And, if a double-dip recession becomes a reality, this problem could continue. Those with credit that is good enough to lease may find that they are not getting the best payment plan for their money.
One way that you can improve your chances of getting better pricing is …read more

Yesterday, we looked at four of the eight tips Investopedia offers for thinking like Warren Buffett. Here are the remaining 8 tips for investing like Buffett:

Consider probabilities: Warren Buffett is a fan of the card game Bridge, in which successful players beat their opponents by considering probabilities. Likewise, you can think of stocks in terms of probabilities. The Investopedia article points out that investors who consider the probability of a good return over 10 years is likely to ride out down cycles to find success in the long-term.
Realize that investing has psychological aspects: We would like to be unemotional …read more

We already have P2P lending, in which you can go online and directly lend money to your peers. But what about P2P payments? Fiserv, a company that offers online billing services to banks, is getting ready to launch just such a feature. Here is what Fiserv has to say about the service in a press release:
Using an e-mail address or mobile phone number, consumers will be able to send money to anyone they know, whether it is to repay a friend for concert tickets or dinner, contribute to a fundraiser, pay team dues, pay allowances or even pay the babysitter.  …read more

Yesterday’s distressing unemployment data sent the national unemployment rate above 10%. This came as President Obama prepared to sign into law a bill providing an extension of jobless benefits. The bill is a relatively small measure, by recent economic stimulus standards, at $24 billion. The bill will extend the eligibility to collect unemployment benefits by 14 weeks. In states with higher unemployment rates (of more than 8.5%), there is a 20 week extension.
But it’s not just the jobless benefits that have seen an extension. The bill is also extending the first time home buyer tax credit along the lines negotiated …read more

In a rather dour Friday morning surprise, the U.S. unemployment rate hit 10.2%. There have been predictions for months that the unemployment rate would exceed 10%, but as the economy started showing signs of life, hope was emerging along the lines of thinking that maybe that psychologically important level could be avoided. This morning’s non-farms payroll data destroyed all such thoughts.
However, even though the news sent stocks a little lower initially, they are inching up, desperate to remain in the black, even with the news. Even though the unemployment rate is higher, job loss is moving at a slower pace, …read more

Chrysler Canada has decided that they will attempt to replicate the success of the General Motors’ “Cash For Clunkers” event. The GM rebate program promised to purchase old but usable cars as a credit towards a new GM vehicle.
The U.S. government collaborated with GM to make the financing possible. And it seems to have worked as a record number of people decided to take advantage and purchase a new vehicle. Some dealerships even had to hire more help to take care of the influx of customers.
The Chrysler Canada “Cash For Clunkers” is just starting but they are already falling …read more

I read an article recently about how the use of social networks is really starting to impact people’s professional lives. There’s the challenge of your boss or employer in general being on the same network you are, whether it be twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or a host of others. Most large companies are using online services to monitor and watch what’s being said about them and their brand. Most of us should assume that there are people listening, regardless of whether we think they care of not.

Spending time in the recruiting business and as a manage for other offices, reviewing applications …read more

Image via WikipediaThis is just a quick rant. Meets are a pain in the butt. I mean, sometimes it’s necessary to meet and talk about a project or get people up to speed on the latest information. We have them each week for the bloggers and our group and I usually held a network meeting each week at my last company but to have meetings to decide what will be accomplished at the next meeting is rediculous.
People who set these types of meetings up — and you know who you are — stop it! Email and …read more

Image via WikipediaIt’s a fact of life that information overload is not easy to escape. Whether you enjoy playing the license plate game or reading the New York Times on your way to work (Do they sill print a paper?), there is a lot to read, take in and retain out there in this cruel world. Luckily, with the help of many great Web 2.0 tools out there, it’s becoming a bit simpler. I’d like to point you in the direction of a few that I have used to simplify my life.
Google Reader (or any other web …read more