What Comes With Your Free LinkedIn Account

There are some well written articles on why active and discreet job seekers should create a LinkedIn account.  I'm also an advocate of LinkedIn however; this post is not about why you should create a LinkedIn account but how to leverage your LinkedIn account during your job search.

The LinkedIn tools that I am going to describe are F-R-E-E with your F-R-E-E account (we like free).  You may not find all of these tools suitable for your search strategy so I'll sort each tool in separate buckets making it easy for you to read and decide which ones you do want to use.

*IMPORTANT NOTE - If you have not created a well written profile read Alison Doyle's article called "LinkedIn Profile".  At the time of this post Alison's LinkedIn profile ranked #6 when I did a Google search for "Alison Doyle".


Groups
Groups can strengthen and extend your existing network and link you to like-minded professionals.  As a group member you can invite other members of your group to become part of your network.  Once they accept your invite you'll have someone within your network who can "introduce" you to others within their network.  Here's an example of how I would use my group during my job search.

Sally is a recruiter for a company that I would like to work for however; Sally is not part of my network nor is she part of my group.  Robert is connected to Sally and Robert is a member of my group.  I send Robert an invite and after he accepts the invite I can direct message him asking for an introduction to Sally. The concept is the same when you go to a party.  If you want to meet someone you find someone you know at the party who knows that person and get an introduction.

Groups can also keep you updated on industry news and trends.  You don't want to go into an interview using buzz words that are no longer in style or you're unfamiliar with the newest industry related technology, software, or best practices.

Being a member of a group also enables you to build your own social brand by starting conversations and commenting on other conversations.  By contributing to group discussions you are displaying your knowledge around a particular topic.  I am a member of a couple groups and I provide resume and cover letter writing ideas, job search techniques and other related topics to my group's discussion boards 1-3 times per week.

Some groups post job openings that a job seeker could be missing out on.

LinkedIn has over 12,000 groups with the keyword "jobs" that are all free to join.  Don't be overwhelmed with the number.  Choose your industry and then find 2 or 3 groups for job seekers that has the largest number of members.

Following Companies ("Company Pages")
The Company Page offers businesses a platform to present their brand and service.  As a Recruiter I follow my competitors to see who was promoted and who departed.  As a convenience I receive an email summarizing the company's activities and I am able to set the frequency of the emails.  As a job seeker I would follow a company that I would like to work for to find decision makers and find new job opportunities.  Someone who leaves a company may mean a new job opportunity for you.  If you are connected you could send your resume and cover letter expressing an interest in applying for the role that John Doe vacated (provided you are qualified) before the position is posted externally.

Search Profiles
LinkedIn profiles are searchable but in order to contact the user you must be connected directly.  If my background or interest is IT and I am interested in connecting with IT recruiters I can find 44,000+ recruiters who recruit in the IT industry.

In my instance I have 12 recruiters in my network and 8, 562 recruiters who I have group relationships.

LinkedIn Answers
LinkedIn Answers is another space where you can build your own social brand by answering questions posted by others, showcase your knowledge and stay abreast of industry news.

Your answers to questions are fed to your homepage profile, added as your network status update and your answer is emailed to the person who asked the question. 

Merely creating a LinkedIn account is not going to attract staffing personnel to your profile.  You need to brand your profile, establish your credibility and connect with others.  All of the features I mentioned will do that for you.  And the beauty is all of them are free and low maintenance.

If you use LinkedIn please share your best practice(s) in the comment section below.

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Build Your Twitter Profile For Your Job Search

If you want someone to think of you when a job opening surfaces you need to be on Twitter.  For starters, make sure your Twitter profile is presentable (professional) and optimize it so that will attract staffing personnel and managers.

Don't protect your tweets.  It prevents your tweets from being indexed by Google, and from getting discovered by recruiters.

Don't mix business with pleasure.  If you plan to tweet a lot about your personal life create a second account.

Don't use inappropriate pictures in your profile or a picture that is not you.

Do choose an identity wisely.  Select a professional screen, whether it's your first and last name or one that captures your industry (i.e, marketing_professional, finance_person).  The latter is best for passive job seekers who want to be discreet.

Do make use of the web link.  Insert a link to your online resume or LinkedIn profile.  Don't have an online resume? Check out any of these free sites: Blogspot, Wordpress, or VisualCV

Do think about keywords you would want your profile to show in a search.  It's not necessary to use hashtags (#).  Your words will show up if keyed in a search.  Adding hashtags in your profile only takes up the 160 characters we are alloted. 

Do include your actual geographical location (city and state) rather than "USA", "Everywhere", "The Planet".  If you are open to relocating write "Open to relocation" in your profile.

Do use a standard background.  One that will permit you to give more details about your background.

Do measure the power of your profile.  Go to Twitter Grader.  My profile grade is 97.7 out of 100.

This is all you need to do to your Twitter profile to make is discoverable.

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Ten Steps - Step 2 - Review the Federal Job Process

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Ten Steps - Step 3 - What are your Accomplishments?

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Ten Steps - Step 1 - Importance of Networking

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Use Social Media In Your Job Search - A Must

Like all of my other posts this particular one will provide you with advice on how you should bare your experience and background to Recruiters, HR professionals, Headhunters and hiring managers. For this post I am picking social media and how you can leverage this resource to enhance and boost your job search.

Did you know there are more than 100 social media sites? If you are curious as to what they are go here. You probably use at least 2 forms of social media to connect and re-connect with friends. The most popular ones are Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn (which is actually a professional network).

Why should you use social media in your job search?
Recruiters, HR professionals and hiring managers are embracing social media and use social media as a "harvesting ground" to find talent for their organizations. Just check out Listorious and WeFollow for a list of Recruiters who want to be found.

Where should you go?
Twitter
Twitter is a great tool to network with employers who may be interested in your experience and engage and market yourself to a large audience of people. Many people can find the right contacts on Twitter to help them to find a job. For staffing and recruiting professionals, Twitter is a quick, easy, and direct way to find job seekers. Especially job seekers with specific skills sets who live in specific places. Unlike Facebook Twitter is searchable site for Recruiters. In my next post I'll share with you what Recruiters are saying about your Twitter profile.

LinkedIn

Recruiters and Human Resources managers are adding their own profiles to sites like LinkedIn and making connections with job seekers for employment. Besides making those connections also use the Company Profile feature. Company Profiles are a powerful research tool that helps you find and explore potential companies to work for. See whose leaving because that's a position that will need to be filled. Stay tuned because in my future post I will share some helpful information on how to create a profile as well as insight on how to search LinkedIn for your next career.

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Networking Tips for Career Advancement

Source: Career & Employment News
Establish networks with professionals in your current or desired fields. Search for and attend association events, cocktail receptions and critical seminars that will attract the people you should know.

Be prepared to talk with new people.
Draft a few questions and statements that will help get the conversation going. Ask what inspired your new contact to join his/her company or what experience he/she brings to the job. Share your positive experiences, what you've learned and your intended career path. Get his/her contact information!

Look for mutual opportunities.
Perhaps your new contact could benefit from your friend's business. Offer to make an introduction. Maybe your new contact knows someone working at your dream company. Ask if he/she would consider sharing your information with that person. Look for reasons to maintain contact and share resources. Be reliable! Don't promise something that you can't deliver.

Keep in touch!
Mark your new contact's business card with the date you last spoke. Follow up every few months just to say hello, see how business is going, set a coffee date...anything that will keep you top of mind. Nearly all networked affiliates share job leads, business leads or tips that can help you achieve your goals.

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Maintaining a Security Clearance is a Valuable Asset for Veterans in Today's Job Market

By Greg T. Rinckey, Esq.

In today’s competitive job market, any extra credential you can add to your resume puts you one step ahead of the other applicants. If you’re just now packing away your uniform and beginning the transition to a civilian job, one of the most valuable assets you can take with you is a security clearance.

A security clearance is not only appealing to future employers, but shows that you’ve already been through a thorough background check and a disciplined, dependable worker is available for hire. And with the military population as the largest source of individuals holding security clearances, retired servicemembers are in demand for positions that require handling sensitive materials on a daily basis.

It’s no question that your security clearance should be viewed as a priceless resource when making the transition to civilian employment. However, keep in mind that you have no right to get or maintain this security clearance – clearances are denied and revoked all the time and not having one can decrease your salary anywhere from $5000 to $15,000.

So what steps can you take to ensure you keep your own clearance in tact?

The burden is on you to prove you are a person whose history, both professional and personal, affirm loyalty to the United States. Factors evaluated include strength of character, honesty, reliability, discretion, sound judgment, and freedom from conflicting allegiances.

If you find yourself in a situation where your clearance has been denied or revoked, you do have options available to you. In working with clients on security clearance problems or preparing for their investigation, I ask them to live by three principles: honesty, accuracy, and mitigation.

So why honesty and accuracy? If you are not honest in the security clearance process, you will not receive a clearance. And if you have inaccuracies in your application or interview, you will have to explain why they are good faith errors and not deliberate evasions or lies. These two principles are meant to save you time, effort, and money in the long run.

There are a host of security concerns or disqualifying conditions that cause security clearance decision makers to recommend denial or revocation. Some of the most common conditions relate to alcohol or drug abuse, financial irresponsibility, and criminal conduct. Since 9/11, foreign influence or preference, either yours or your spouse, could also play a factor.

Concerns about the misuse of information technology systems are also starting to become prevalent. There are rules for when and what for a person uses the government computer system. Anything from downloading pornography to viewing a video on YouTube.com on your lunch break could be a cause for revocation of a clearance, not to mention disciplinary action.

The good news is that most people who get a security clearance keep it. But even if you receive word that your clearance has been denied or revoked, you have the right to appeal the decision. A statement detailing the reason for denial or revocation should be supplied to you with the procedures for filing an appeal. If you believe the information gathered about you during the investigation was misleading or inaccurate, appealing the decision gives you the opportunity to correct or clarify the situation.

Here is where the mitigation portion becomes applicable. Your goal in the appeals process is to convince the decision maker that the disqualifying condition has been mitigated or alleviated. Perhaps the financial problems you were denied upon occurred years ago and you’ve had stable finances since. Or maybe your financial problems happened because of a sudden and very expensive illness. Bankruptcy is not by itself a reason to deny a clearance; it’s what you did to become bankrupt and what you’ve done with your finances since that should matter. You might have had a shoplifting conviction, but it was five years ago. Foreign preference or influence disqualifying conditions can be explained by a detailed analysis of your family history and foreign contacts.

If you think there may be a situation in your past that could cause a problem during the investigation process, a lawyer experienced in security clearance cases can prescreen your application before submission. If you received a letter of intent to deny or revoke a clearance from your agency, you have various routes to appeal. The process differs somewhat from case to case, but no matter what your situation is the deadlines are strict and unforgiving. Representation by a lawyer experienced in security clearance cases can guide you through the process.

If you find yourself having problems with your security clearance, remember the rules I set forth above – honesty, accuracy and mitigation. Following these pointers should keep you with one of the most valuable assets achieved through your military service.

Source: Veterans Today

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Putting Veterans First in the Job Market

Finding a job is hard enough these days, and even harder for returning military veterans. Now Thomas R. Suozzi, the Nassau County executive, wants to put servicemen and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan at the front of the line for job openings.

By Linda Saslow-
“Although in today’s economy it’s hard to foresee how many jobs we will be able to provide, the veterans will have first preference.”


Mr. Suozzi announced Warriors to Work, a program to provide job opportunities for those veterans. He said it was the first public-private program in the country to provide employment opportunities for returning veterans from the current wars.

“Over 3,000 Nassau County residents have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11, and there are still hundreds more fighting for our country today,” Mr. Suozzi said after announcing the initiative. Federal Labor Department statistics for 2007 show the unemployment rate for veterans, including those 18 to 24 who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, was considerably higher than the rate for nonveterans.

Mr. Suozzi said he got the idea for the initiative from Fred Wilpon, the principal owner of the Mets, who, during a Dec. 15 meeting at a Nassau restaurant, suggested that Mr. Suozzi “do something for veterans.”

Mr. Suozzi met with officials of the Building and Construction Trades Council and the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System and received commitments for jobs from them. Then he received pledges from four trade unions and a dozen other companies. The participants include the Long Island Federation of Labor, the Bethpage Federal Credit Union, CVS, King Kullen and the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The unions and companies committed to placing more than 200 veterans who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan in jobs on Long Island this year. The county’s Veterans Service Agency will work with human resources departments to help match veterans to appropriate jobs.

James Castellane, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council and a Vietnam War veteran, said in a telephone interview that the initiative was modeled on the Helmets to Hard Hats program, which since 2003 has been helping veterans find jobs within the 36 trade unions represented by the council.

“These jobs have to have a pension, an annuity, medical benefits and a union card,” he said, referring to the council’s commitment. “Although in today’s economy it’s hard to foresee how many jobs we will be able to provide, the veterans will have first preference.”

John R. Durso, president of the Long Island Federation of Labor, which represents 135unions and 250,000 employees on the Island, said the county’s program would give business and labor an opportunity to work together to support veterans.

“We will be talking to different employers and affiliates to get as many jobs as we can,” he said in a phone interview. “Where there are already jobs available, we will help slot them for veterans, and we will also work with employers to help create new positions.”

Michael J. Dowling, president and chief executive of the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System — the Island’s largest employer, with 38,000 employees — has already increased his initial pledge for 2009 to 20 jobs from 10. He said he expected to be able to provide even more jobs to returning veterans, at all levels, on a continuing basis. Since 2004, North Shore-L.I.J. has hired 94 people who identified themselves as veterans, said a spokesman, Terry Lynam.

“Being such a large organization, there are openings all the time, and we are committed to providing permanent positions with benefits and a career track,” Mr. Dowling said.

Two years ago, he said, North Shore-L.I.J. set up a family wellness center to help veterans deal with stress-related problems; for employees who serve abroad, jobs are guaranteed upon their return, with compensation for salary missed during military service.

Richard A. Cody, a retired four-star general who served as vice chief of staff of the Army from 2004 to last July, joined Mr. Suozzi to announce the new initiative.

“When soldiers return after 12 to 15 months away from their families, many haven’t had time to do job searches or think about their transition,” General Cody said. “Today, veterans return home with broader skill sets than ever. Many of the vets possess years of high-tech vocational training, leadership skills, and some have earned college degrees while on active duty.”

Mr. Suozzi said that he would continue to encourage businesses and agencies to sign on to the Warriors to Work initiative and that the county’s monthly newsletter to veterans would remind them of the program.

Source: Veterans Today

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Stable Demand for Sales Jobs

SalesJobs.net, a Beyond.com career community and Web site for job seekers and employers in the sales industry, reveals there is a stable demand for sales jobs providing hope for sales professionals and new college graduates alike in the face of today’s economy.

The recent recession has caused a decline in jobs across a multitude of industries, creating a pool of highly qualified talent not seen in years. Many businesses are taking advantage of these candidates to fill sales positions that offer high-reward and low-risk to the company. This trend has allowed the sales sector to remain strong, experiencing close to a 10% increase in the number of sales jobs posted to SalesJobs.net in January 2009 as compared to December 2008. In Q4 2008, the top positions for sales jobs were Sales Manager (68%), Pharmaceutical Sales Representative (15%) and Cashier (5%), with the top cities for jobs ranked as Houston, New York and Chicago, according to SalesJobs.net. Of the sales jobs posted in Q4 2008, 67% were looking for a candidate with less than one year of experience and 63% required at least a four-year degree. With the increased quantity and quality of competition in the job market, SalesJobs.net reported a 27% increase in sales professionals looking for a job over the past year.

Source: Recruiter Trends

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Veterans Green Jobs Career Training Program Supports Veterans

Veterans Green Jobs announces that it has opened enrollment for the Spring and Summer 2009 sessions of the Veterans Green Jobs Academy™.

The Academy is a unique hybrid of classroom and on-the-job training designed to move the experienced, disciplined military veteran into a meaningful career in green industries. Veterans Green Jobs Academy™ programs include free or low-cost green job training; multiple industry-recognized home energy audit certifications; and job placement services to veterans seeking to help America restore its economy, environment and communities. All honorably discharged veterans are encouraged to apply now for 8-week training programs beginning in April, June and August 2009. The Spring 2009 session of the Academy focuses on home energy efficiency and conservation with an intensive Home Energy Audit Training (HEAT™) certification program. HEAT™ brings environmental education together with supervised on-the-job-training to meet the consumer demand for experts to help lower residential energy consumption. "Reports indicate that there are nearly 2 million returned or returning military personnel who now face the challenging task of transitioning into civilian careers after their tours in Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere. Without effective support and viable economic options, many veterans and their families face serious hardships," says John M. Garcia, Secretary for the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services. "At the same time, America has a rapidly growing demand for trained workers to implement a nationwide shift to more sustainable 'green' technologies, energy sources, business practices and lifestyles." The Veterans Green Jobs Academy™ has designed scalable curriculums in environmental industries, business management, and specific job skills that can be immediately applied to the marketplace. The HEAT™ Program is just one of several energy-efficiency-related programs being developed, and future programs offered by the Academy include renewable energy, green building, historic building preservation, and disaster preparedness, response and reconstruction. "Veterans Green Jobs is working to mobilize a highly-skilled population to lead the revival of a national service ethic to address our most pressing problems," says Brett KenCairn. "That includes setting a standard so that green jobs in this country offer a true living wage and job security, and so that careers in green industries lead to energy independence, ecological restoration, community renewal and economic prosperity for all Americans." In collaboration with a broad consortium of partners, Veterans Green Jobs is supporting veterans' military transitions through programs and support services that promote their personal healing, along with a community-based movement towards healing the economy and the environment. In doing so, Veterans Green Jobs is also mobilizing a dedicated field-tested workforce that our society has already invested in to help the US move quickly towards greater environmental and economic security. Academy programs will expand to 15 states in 2010 and are anticipated to be in all 50 states as soon as possible.

Source: Recruiter Trends

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Niche and Local Job Boards

Hong Kong job seekers and recruiters are set to benefit from the launch of a host of industry-specific websites serving the region.

The sites, led by Jobs-In-Hong-Kong.com, are being launched by The Omni Job Board Network, Inc. in response to changing needs in the internet recruitment market. The Omni network was created by a team of former recruiters, web developers, human resources (HR) and marketing professionals, "who had become disillusioned by the high cost and inconsistent results they experienced with traditional job boards." Their research reveals that the vast majority of internet job seekers have little loyalty to major job board brands, instead relying primarily on search engines to deliver relevant and up-to-date job listings in their area, according to the website. Despite being newly launched to the industry, the sites feature highly in internet search engines, including Google, Yahoo! and MSN Live, giving employers and recruiters a high level of exposure to high quality candidates from around the world.

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Part-time Opportunities

Most people (meaning job seekers) perceive part-time jobs as a waste of time and offer less than full-time positions.

Many part-time jobs pay just as much as full-time as a 40 hour per week job and there are number of part-time jobs that offer benefits such as health insurance, 401(k), vacation days and employee discounts. Here is a list of the best part-time opportunities.

1. Tax Preparer
2. Substitute Teacher
3. Private Tutor
4. Part-time Receptionist
5. Computer Technician
6. Copy Editor
7. Direct Seller

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Will Your Credit Score Harm Your Job Search

Do you wonder if your credit history will effect your chances of landing a job? It could.

If the job you are applying for involves handling money or sensitive financial information, then yes your candidacy for that job could be questionable.

Here's some good advice from Gerri Willis, CNN Money:
"Your credit score won't matter because employers are not allowed to use credit scores as part of employment screening. But, they are allowed to look at your credit reports according to Deanna Templeton of Credit.com.

Employers must tell you if they'll be peeking into your report before they actually do it. Plus, they are not allowed to use that information as the sole reason to disqualify you for a job.

However, if the employer is going to review your credit report then it might not be a bad idea to be able to explain the circumstances behind the collections and any receipts you've got that prove you've been paying them off.

If your job includes you handling money or sensitive financial information then your credit is a bigger deal than if you are not. There's no one answer to whether or not to bring it up beforehand. Feel them out and if you believe it will improve your chances then bring it up says Templeton."

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Hiring Firms Gear Up for Finance Mop Up

The expected clean-up of the U.S. financial sector and an anticipated economic stimulus package has staffing firms preparing to find jobs for everyone from blue-collar workers to highly trained compliance officers.

While most headlines in the past few months have been about companies and industries eliminating jobs and closing factories, once these federal government programs roll out, demand within some sectors is expected to spike!

"Cleaning up the bad loans and reregulating the financial sector is going to be huge," said Brendan Courtney, Vice President of Mergis Group, a unit of staffing company Spherion Corp, which has set up a special group to handle hiring related to the U.S. financial sector bailout. "None of this is going to get done without armies of people."

The U.S. Congress is debating a nearly $900 billion economic stimulus package, including tens of billions of dollars for infrastructure projects to create jobs.

President Barack Obama has also vowed to overhaul the nation's financial regulatory system, which may include stricter rules for hedge funds, credit rating agencies and mortgage brokers, to prevent a repeat of the credit crisis that has plunged the world's largest economy into deep recession.

And U.S. policymakers are considering whether to place toxic or virtually worthless assets left in the wake of the financial crisis into a bank cleanup program that some analysts estimate could cost as much as $4 trillion.

Although the exact form of these programs has yet to be decided, staffing companies say they are preparing to fill a raft of different jobs with accountants, engineers, lawyers, bankers, mortgage specialists and compliance officers.

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Recruiters Can Be Found At......

Recruiters and other HR professionals are appearing on professional and social online network groups.

But before I discuss the main topic permit me to sidetrack a bit in order to set up why I decided to talk about (once again) why you have to cast a wide net in your job search and consider tapping into a social network groups.
 
I read an article today that talked about how online job board postings have dropped by 23% over the past 2 months. The writer cites a report written by a research group who reported the reason in the decline was due to a less in demand for labor. I think that is partly true. However, what was missing in that article is what alternatives are employers taking to fill attrition.

In today's climate employers are charging their HR department to think out of the box to find and implement cost effective or no cost methods to find candidates. Posting jobs on job boards or in newspapers can be very expensive and have an impact on a company's budget. An employer who is watching his/her budget may be apprehensive about vesting thousands of dollars and a year long contract to advertise openings in their company using these venues. Especially when there are other methods to find new talent for their company such as online social network groups.

One site that is attracting and building a membership base of industry Recruiters is Twitter. Twitter currently has more than 140 Recruiters who tweet and follow other's updates. If you are not familiar with Twitter you may assume from reading this is that this social media is exclusive to Recruiters and HR professionals. But it is not. The Twitter base is swelling beyond 100,000 common people. Twitter has been described as walking into a room of conversations and looking for a "hook" to decide if and when to jump in. So, how do you connect with some of these Recruiters?

If you click this link http://twitter.grader.com/search?Term=recruiter you will find the most influential Recruiters on Twitter. You can follow their updates and learn about job openings and hiring events they are working on.

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Job Seeker Support Groups

One of the best sources of job leads is other job seekers.

People who are unemployed or under-employed are finding strength in support groups. Members of these groups are the front-line soldiers in the battle for jobs, and as a group, know more about where the openings are than probably any other single source. Except in the rare instance when two people are looking for the same type of job -- at the same level -- in the same geographic area, most job seekers are eager to share their knowledge and leads with others.

That is why career strategist and counselors (and I) recommend all job seekers connect with at least one job search group. I recently created such a group.

It's called the Frustrated Job Seeker Lounge.There are no membership fees or other costs associated with the group. You can make friends, network, ask for and share job leads, exchange ideas and experiences, role-play with other job seekers, and you can participate in the group whenever you want from the comfort of your home. Membership is open to anyone who is unemployed, under-employed, or considering a career change.

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Wanted - Heavy Equipment Operators

Heavy equipment operators will have plenty of career opportunities in 2009.

Job opportunities for construction equipment operators are expected to be in abundance through 2012, due to the shortage of adequate training programs, according to the National Heavy Equipment Operators School. The National Heavy Equipment Training program is offered in two phases: distance learning and resident training. Resident Training requires a month of hands-on heavy equipment training, of which students are required to complete 201 hours of hands-on heavy equipment operator training in order to graduate. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, construction equipment operators held about 416,000 jobs in 2002. Jobs were found in every section of the country and were distributed among various types of operators. About three-out-of-five construction equipment operators worked in the construction industry. Many heavy equipment operators worked in heavy construction, building highways, bridges, or railroads. About one-out-of-five of all heavy equipment operators worked in state and local government. Others, mostly grader, bulldozer, and scraper operators, worked in mining, manufacturing, and utility companies.

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100 Best Companies to Work For In 2009

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2009/full_list/

Check out one of my online discussion groups. You may be able to connect and network with a current employee or former employee from one of this companies.

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President Obama's Economic Plan

President Obama is urging Congress to pass a $825 billion economic stimulus plan before President's Day. He hopes that the plan will create up to 1 million jobs over the next 2 years.

Do you think that his plan will work? Write your comments here.

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