Why that Headhunter Won’t Call You Back

Recruiters can be like cads: They lead you on, pretend to be interested, and then never call you back. Lots of people have horror stories about recruiters who reach out for their resumes, interview them in-office, and then never speak to them again.

There’s a reason. And, it’s not pure malice. Generally. But I might need you to thicken your skin for a moment.

1. They Don’t Have Anything For You Right Now. The simplest answer is often the truth. Why, you ask, would they waste everyone’s time if they don’t have any positions for you? It’s in their interest to find out what you’re all about so that you’re good to go when a position does arise for your background…

Screwed: 650 in Hawaii

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Today’s Total: 1,388

The good news: Iowa Gov. Chet Culver is close to formulating an agreement that may prevent 479 state government layoffs.

The bad: Hawaii state layoffs begin today and expect to effect 650 employees by the end of the year… Upwards of 500 San Francisco union workers face layoffs, pay cuts, and job reassignments… Cincinnati’s Metro has laid off 19 full- and part-time workers and will be letting go of another 101 employees, including unionized workers, part-time employees, and full-time administrators… Newsweek is planning approximately one dozen staff layoffs… Anheuser-Busch is laying off 45 hourly workers from its Manitowoc plant… Mayor Reichert of Macon, Ga. intends to layoff 31 city employees… Australian game developer Krome Studios is laying off up to 30 employees from its Brisbane studio… Santa Clara, Calif.-based factory equipment maker Applied Materials is cutting up to 12 percent of its workforce… An undeclared number of layoffs are to take place at Sinclair Tulsa Refining Co. as it merges with Holly Corp…

Screwed: 700 at Potash Corporation

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Today’s Total: 1,018

The Potash Corporation has laid off 700 mine workers at its Lanigan and Rocanville mines… The 2010 Albany County budget includes 109 layoffs, most from the county nursing home… Aviation firm AAR Aircraft Services is laying off 106 employees this December… High-performance-audio maker, Stillwater Designs, is laying off 50 employees by the end of the month… Shaba Games has laid off 30 employees, leaving only 50 percent of its former workforce still employed… Conde Nast has laid off 15 employees from its digital unit… LPGA headquarters announced 8 staff layoffs, including the elimination of the Deputy Commissioner position.

Recession Briefing 8.3: Housing is Back

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

By every measure, except foreclosures, the housing market has stabilized and many areas are recovering, according to a spate of data released in the past two weeks. (Los Angeles Times)

Families are expected to spend 8 percent less on back-to-school purchases, including everything from new shoes to dorm room gear, the National Retail Federation forecasts. Also, Recessionwire: 10 stores offering deals. (Associated Press)

Strapped local and state governments are still spending on at least one activity: seeking stimulus money. (Wall Street Journal)…

Sotomayor Had It Easy

A severe company-wide crisis is underway and, as a mid-level manager, you have to decide: Push forward with a risky new plan that could save jobs and bring in more revenue — if it works — or scrap your costly team now and stay the course. But wait. Now you’re a lower-level worker facing the same situation from a different perspective. How do your elegancies shift? Would you remain loyal to the company? Or stand by your fellow co-workers as part of a team?

Such role-playing games are the type of exercises Hallie Crawford, a certified career coach in Atlanta, Ga., says some of her clients are being run through in job interviews. “It’s kind of a no-win situation,” Crawford says of the above scenario, which a recent client faced. Side with upper management and you’re a yes man; side with co-workers and you‘re disloyal.

Think this week’s vetting process for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor was tough? Try sitting through just about any mid-level job interview these days …

Living the Weisure Life

Thanks to the fadeout of 9-to-5 workdays and technology that keeps us reachable 24/7, more people are able to work hard and play hard … at the same time.

“Weisure” is the cute buzzword coined to describe the combo of employment and enjoyment. Not only are we Facebooking in the office, but we’re also checking our Blackberries on dates and emailing clients while watching “The Office.” NYU sociologist Dalton Conley, who created the word, explains that Americans’ increased workloads make it easier to take a quick work phone call after hours than wait till you get to the office in the morning when you have more to do.

And now, our “social” networks like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are tools we’re using at work, too …

Recession Bullies at Work

If you’ve been feeling picked on at work lately, you’re hardly alone. The Associated Press reports that workplace bullying is on the rise thanks to the recession, due in part to how difficult it can be to find a new job in a tight economy.

And while workplace bullies may not be stealing your homework or your lunch money, the mental pain they can inflict is often much worse in the long term, according to Workplace Bullying Institute director Gary Namie, who defines the practice as any verbal abuse, humiliation, career sabotage, or intimidation an employee may experience in the office.

So what should you do if you’re feeling bullied at work? Namie offers some advice …

The New Freedom Fifty-Five?

Downsizing just got a little easier.

Until last week, companies may have hesitated to lay off their older, likely more expensive workers, and not just because they’re the ones with more experience and perhaps better equipped to manage business through a downturn. They probably also considered the lawsuits that could come their way.

Under current civil-rights laws, which were amended in 1991, U.S. employers have increasingly been subject to anti-discrimination lawsuits based on age. Since the recession took hold last year, the number of age-bias claims has grown by 30 percent, nearly surpassing the number of race discrimination claims, according the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

But last week, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court modified those laws, saying it’s up to fired or laid off workers to prove that age was a key factor in losing their jobs, rather than their employers…

Resume Fictions: Be More Than You Can Be

So you’ve never operated a forklift before. How hard can it be?

If you’re like most jobseekers in today’s shrinking and increasingly competitive labor market, you can’t afford to limit your qualifications to, well, your qualifications.

According to a recent workplace survey, the few employers out there looking for new hires are reporting a sharp increase in trumped up or outright fraudulent resumes. That’s hardly surprising, perhaps, given the dwindling job opportunities now available. This month unemployment hit a 30-year high, while sites like Monster say job postings are down 30 percent in the past year.

For their part, HR managers and other workplace gatekeepers say they can spot fantastical resumes a mile off …

Top Ten Jobs for Grads

The quest for employment isn’t hopeless for the class of 2009! There are promising jobs out there, if you know where to look.

Commencement for 2009 graduates is quickly approaching. The search for entry-level employment is never easy for recent grads, and today’s economy is no help. It seems like a fair share of students, myself included, fear graduation day like the rest of the country fears layoffs. According to the Job Outlook 2009 survey of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers plan to hire 22 percent fewer grads from the class of 2009 than they had from the class of 2008. Don’t panic! There are a number of jobs that look promising for 2009 grads. Here’s a list of ten (in no particular order), based on statistics from NACE and the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

1. Accountant and auditor
Straight forward and self explanatory. Accounting majors are on a direct path to this always-in demand career.

2. Database administrator
Careers in information systems management are on the rise as database systems are becoming an integral part of all business…