New Jobless Claims Falling

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Lucky for you you’ve decided to work in a field that promises uninterrupted growth.  And the nature of medical billing and coding is such that it seems unlikely that the work could ever be outsourced to a foreign country.  Despite that good news, the economic picture still has an impact on overall hiring and it continues to look dicey out there.  However, very recently there seems to be a modest drop in the number of new claims for unemployment assistance.  This may be an indicator of slow growth in hiring. The Labor Department said Thursday that the number of people seeking benefits dipped by 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 388,000 for the week that ended March 26. That’s the second decline in three weeks. Applications near 375,000 or below are consistent with a sustained increase in hiring. Applications peaked during the recession at 659,000. Click here for more details.

How You Look Affects Your Paycheck

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This guy ALWAYS gets passed over for promotions!

This guy ALWAYS gets passed over for promotions!

For those of you getting ready to graduate and enter the workforce in your new career, consider the article here from the Business Insider courtesy of Yahoo!.   In this piece, we are shown the statistics illustrating that how you look has a material impact on how you’re treated and how much you earn in the market.  Cleanshaven men without any balding earn higher than their analogs who are losing hair or growing it on their faces.  Conservatively dressed women earn better than their more revealingly dressed counterparts.  Read the entire piece to learn how you can present yourself to earn the most on the job.

How to Get Paid What You’re Worth

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WIRED magazine’s DIY section brings us another excellent piece.  Today’s topic is how to get paid what you’re worth when seeking a job.  Follow these easy steps to increase your chances of not only landing a job, but one in which you’ll be compensated commensurate with your abilities and experiences. 1 Use an online salary calculator 2 Schmooze, schmooze, schmooze 3 Commit to negotiating 4 But don’t be a jerk 5 Negotiating Strategy 6 Discount future earnings 7 Above all, be flexible 8 Keep your eyes open 9 Finally Click here to read the details of this strategy and get paid what you’re worth!

Medical Billing/Coding – Cutting Edge Jobs

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Need more convincing that a career in medical billing and coding is a wise pursuit?  Kiplinger’s released a list of 10 jobs that didn’t exist ten years ago.  These are jobs that have been enabled to a large degree by information technologies and the Internet.  These are positions that are just now coming to the forefront of the career world and are not in any danger of being outsourced or downsized out of existence.   Sure enough, medical billing and coding jobs made Kiplinger’s top 10 list.  Click here to see the full list and marvel at the other careers on the list alongside yours.  Give yourself a pat on the back for being such a trendsetter.

Growth in Jobs & Economy: Illusion or Reality?

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By academic measures, the US economy has been technically out of recession (defined as two or more quarters of consecutive GDP decline) since the end of 2009.  Tell that to all the folks who remain unemployed through 2010 and now into 2011.  However, there are several recent signs pointing to the more tangible kind of recovery that can be seen and felt by the average worker.  Follow me past the jump for the promising details. Continue reading…

5 New Years Job Hunt Resolutions

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Lydia Dishman of www.payscale.com wrote this interesting piece of 5 New Years resolutions that job hunters owe it to themselves to make.  They are:
  • Hone your elevator pitch
  • Brush up on your hard skills
  • Solidfy your soft skills
  • Work better with others
  • Treat each failure as an opportunity
Click here to read the full article and learn why each of these resolutions can help you to be more effective in your job search for 2011!

The Small Talker, The Box Checker & The Unprepared

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Doug White of renowned staffing firm, Robert Half International says to be prepared for the different personalities of hiring managers. In terms that remind this blogger of Seinfeld episodes (remember the “Low-Talker” or the “Re-Gifter”?) he outlines three typical HR managers’ personality types and provides information on how to prepare yourself should you run into one of them in your next job interview. Click here to learn how to address “The Small Talker”, “The Box Checker” and the “Ill-Prepared” varieties of hiring manager.

Encore Careers

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In an article by Chris Kyle for Yahoo! Education, medical assistant and medical manager are two of the five top “encore” careers.  That is, fields for people wishing to retrain and re-enter the workforce, perhaps after losing a job in an industry hard hit by the recession.  The relative safety and immunity from economic downturn enjoyed by the medical field played a large part in vaulting these two jobs to the top of this particular list.  Click here to read all the details!

50 Worst Resumé Clichés

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Resume ClichesUS News and World Report published the 50 most overused phrases job seekers include in their resumés.  Trying to avoid them all seems like a difficult challenge.  However, if you succeed in avoiding them all, your resumé will be undeniably different and that is exactly what catches the eye of the recruiter!  Make the jump to see the full list: Continue reading…