TAOnline Transition Insight Newsletter

Strong job gains give GOP extra fuel heading into Election Day

WASHINGTON — Hiring surged and wages grew more than they have in almost a decade, the government said Friday in a report seized on by Republicans just before the midterm elections as evidence their policies are delivering for American workers. In a key economic snapshot before Tuesday's vote, the Labor Department's monthly jobs report showed that the typical worker's earnings rose by 3.1 percent in the past year - the biggest such leap since 2009. Federal economists reported 250,000 new jobs in October, the 97th straight month of gains, and the unemployment rate remained at a nearly half-century low of 3.7 percent, underlining the strong ... Read More

Amazon Selects New York City and Northern Virginia for New Headquarters

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov 13, 2018--Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that it has selected New York City and Arlington, Virginia, as the locations for the company's new headquarters. Amazon will invest $5 billion and create more than 50,000 jobs across the two new headquarters locations, with more than 25,000 employees each in New York City and Arlington. The new locations will join Seattle as the company's three headquarters in North America. In addition, Amazon announced that it has selected Nashville for a new Center of Excellence for its Operations business, which is responsible for the company's customer fulfillment ... Read More

Happy Holiday Hiring!

Although most job seekers tend to shut down, or at least slow down, their job search activities during the holidays, that’s not actually a smart thing to do. Yes, some employees may be on vacation, but most employers have jobs they want filled before January 1. No Hiring During “the Holidays”?? “Everyone knows” that employers don’t hire during the holidays. WRONG! Typically, more hiring happens in November and December than happens in January and February. Comparing the end of 2014 to the beginning of 2015, using the U.S. Department of Labor’s JOLTS reports: December, 2014 — 5.239 million hires January, 2015 — 4.996 million hires Two important notes about the JOLTS data: the ... Read More

5 ‘dumb things’ smart vets do in their job search

Transitioning out the military into the civilian marketplace can seem daunting, even if you have prepared for it. Moving from a regulated environment to one that is less defined than the military can be more time consuming than you might have thought. Regardless of how well you succeeded in your military career, there are job search skills you must learn to develop for your civilian career path. Here are five “dumb things” that really smart veterans do that affect their job search: Relying on one resume. In today’s job market, you will need multiple resumes for different strategies. Using one type of resume for every employer is an outdated approach ... Read More

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**TAOnline Virtual Career Fair * The Big Virtual * January 2019**

The Big Virtual is a TAOnline Virtual Career Fair where U.S. veterans and security cleared professionals can connect online with military-friendly organizations. The event will take place in January (date TBD) from 11 am to 3 pm (ET). This event is for anyone seeking nationwide opportunities and is for all ranks and branches of service, including active duty, Reserve, National Guard, and individuals with a security clearance (including civilians). More information will be available soon.

**Corporate Gray Military-Friendly Job Fair * November 16, 2018 * Springfield, VA**

You're invited to interview with dozens of military-friendly companies at the November 16th Corporate Gray Military-Friendly Job Fair at The Waterford in Springfield, Virginia. Interview face-to-face with Lockheed Martin, Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, Marine Corps Systems Command, Prince William County Police, Inter-Con Security Systems, Leidos, PenFed, OBXtech, U.S. Secret Service, and many more! Job fair hours are 9 am to 12 noon, with an Employer Panel discussion for job seekers starting at 8 am. To ensure you receive the job fair Employer Directory in advance, pre-register at http://corporategray.com/jobfairs/400. And if you upload your resume to the Corporate Gray website, the participating companies will have early access to your credentials. This job fair is free to all job seekers and is especially for transitioning service members and veterans of all ranks/ratings and branches of service.

**Military Officer Job Fair * December 5, 2018 * Arlington, VA**

Are you preparing to leave the service as a military officer? Would you like to talk with companies specifically seeking military officer talent? Then plan to attend the December 5th Military Officer Job Fair, which will be held from 8 am to 12 noon at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. While sponsored by the West Point Society of DC, this event is open and free to ALL military officers regardless of commissioning source or branch of service. Meet face-to-face with representatives from General Dynamics IT, ITility, Transportation Security Administration, Endeavor Air, GoJet Airlines, MDB Group, AECOM, Institute for Defense Analyses, and more! For additional information and to register, visit http://corporategray.com/jobfairs/403.

FREE U.S. Veterans Magazine Subscription for TAOnline Members!

U.S. Veterans Magazine (USVM) Is the premiere resource magazine for transitioning service members, service-disabled veterans, veteran business owners and their spouses and families. USVM is the link between the qualified students, career and business candidates from the ranks of our nation’s veteran organizations, educational institutions, corporate America, and the federal government. Subscribe for FREE today!

Strong job gains give GOP extra fuel heading into Election Day

In a key economic snapshot before Tuesday's vote, the Labor Department's monthly jobs report showed that the typical worker's earnings rose by 3.1 percent in the past year - the biggest such leap since 2009.

Federal economists reported 250,000 new jobs in October, the 97th straight month of gains, and the unemployment rate remained at a nearly half-century low of 3.7 percent, underlining the strong fundamentals of the economy, despite stock market jitters.

Trump moved swiftly to claim credit for the figures.

"Wow! The U.S. added 250,000 Jobs in October - and this was despite the hurricanes. Unemployment at 3.7%. Wages UP!" he wrote on Twitter, telling reporters later in the day: "We had tremendous job numbers today. . . . That was shocking for a number of people, and that was a tremendous number by any standard."

Trump and Republican candidates painted the jobs report as further proof of an economic boom, but many independent economists warn that growth has probably peaked and that it is likely there will be a slowdown, especially if trade tensions continue to escalate.

"Tax relief is helping our economy grow and Iowans are keeping more of their hard-earned money," Rep. David Young, R-Iowa, who is in one of the most competitive House races in the country against Democrat Cindy Axne, tweeted Friday after the jobs numbers came out.

A growing number of Wall Street analysts and economists say that the tax cuts and additional spending caused a temporary boost that will fade and leave future generations with a substantially larger debt burden.

"The economy peaked in the second quarter of this year and has been slowing for four to five months," said David Kotok, chair of Cumberland Advisors. "The trade war is slowing the growth rate, because tariffs are a sales tax imposed on Americans by the U.S. government."

Markets jumped immediately after the release of the report Friday but ended the day in the red, with the Dow Jones industrial average down almost 110 points mainly on concerns that the U.S.-China trade battle won't end soon.

The strong jobs creation last month defied expectations, even by Trump's top economist, Kevin Hassett, who said he had been bracing for a dip in hiring after Hurricane Michael pummeled the Florida panhandle and Georgia.

"We were expecting a number way below this, so it was a big surprise," Hassett said. "We've got extraordinary job growth even in the face of literal head winds from a hurricane."

Every major sector added employees, including manufacturing, where there has been evidence that the tariffs are starting to bite. Hispanic unemployment hit a new low of 4.4 percent.

"This is the best labor environment in over a decade," said Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM U.S., an international consulting firm.

African-American unemployment, at 6.2 percent, is close to an all-time low, although it still remains nearly double the white unemployment rate.

The wage gains are coming at a time of record profits for U.S. companies after Trump and congressional Republicans enacted the biggest corporate tax rate cut in the nation's history.

Although business profits are at an all-time high, the share of that income going to workers hangs near the lowest levels since the government began tracking it in the 1940s.

"We need to see stronger wage growth for a lot longer for workers to be able to claw back the labor share of corporate-sector income and for workers to really feel those benefits in their paycheck," said Elise Gould, senior economist at the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

Hassett predicted strong wage growth would "move even higher" than 3.1 percent next year as companies use their tax savings to invest more in factories, machines and other items that make workers more productive.

But the latest government data on business investment was weaker than expected, a sign companies might be holding off on spending because of uncertainty on trade.

Analysts say the robust job growth streak took off in 2014 and has largely kept pace since. The average number of monthly job gains in the final two years of the Obama administration was 211,000, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average so far under Trump is 196,000, a solid number given the low unemployment.

The country has 7.1 million job openings, a record high, the Labor Department announced Tuesday.

"Average wages are finally starting to pick up, especially for some lower-skilled positions," said Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor. "Maintenance workers, bank tellers, cashiers, cooks - employers are running out of workers for many of these roles."

Health care, manufacturing, construction, transportation and warehousing fueled October's particularly strong job growth.

Employment at hospitals, nursing homes and other medical facilities surged by 36,000 positions.

Manufacturing jobs jumped by 32,000, with the largest gains stemming from goods production. Construction expanded by 30,000 roles, nearly half of which focus on residential homes.

Transportation and warehousing saw gains of 25,000, while leisure and hospitality recovered from September's hurricane slowdown with 42,000 positions.

Some analysts have tied rising pay to moves by 18 states to increase their minimum wages at the start of the year.

Speaking Thursday at The Washington Post, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said he stands against that kind of policy at a national level. "My view is a federal minimum wage is a terrible idea. A terrible idea," he said, claiming that pay restrictions hurts small businesses.

There is some concern that higher wages might fuel inflation if companies turn around and increase prices for consumers. But for now, inflation remains right around the Federal Reserve's target of 2 percent. If inflation rises next year, the Fed would probably respond with faster interest rate increases, which have tended to cause markets and the economy to choke in the past.

It's likely that the October wage figure was slightly inflated because the severe hurricanes last year ended up depressing wages. So when the Labor Department calculated the year over year change for wages last month, it looked like a bigger jump than normal. because last year's number was low.

Still, economists say wages are trending slightly higher. "I don't want to play down the optimistic story here. Things are getting better. Wages are firming on a nominal basis for workers," said Ernie Tedeschi, head of fiscal analysis at Evercore ISI and a former economist in the Obama administration.

Job growth in the United States slowed considerably in September, largely because of Hurricane Florence's devastating run through the Carolinas. About 313,000 people did not clock in at work due to the rough weather.

Federal economists revised September's job growth down to 118,000 from 134,000.

Business falters amid severe weather, according to a Federal Reserve study. It can take months for economic activity to pick back up.

"You can't work on a jobs site if it's underwater," said Robert Frick, corporate economist at the Navy Federal Credit Union in Virginia.

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Amazon Selects New York City and Northern Virginia for New Headquarters

The new Washington, D.C. metro headquarters in Arlington will be located in National Landing, and the New York City headquarters will be located in the Long Island City neighborhood in Queens. Amazon's investments in each new headquarters will spur the creation of tens of thousands of additional jobs in the surrounding communities. Hiring at both the new headquarters will begin in 2019. The Operations Center of Excellence will be located in downtown Nashville as part of a new development site just north of the Gulch, and hiring will also begin in 2019.

"We are excited to build new headquarters in New York City and Northern Virginia," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon. "These two locations will allow us to attract world-class talent that will help us to continue inventing for customers for years to come. The team did a great job selecting these sites, and we look forward to becoming an even bigger part of these communities."

Amazon in Long Island City in New York City

Located just across the East River from Midtown Manhattan and the Upper East Side, Long Island City is a mixed-use community where arts and industry intersect. It is a diverse community with a unique blend of cultural institutions, arts organizations, new and converted housing, restaurants, bars, breweries, waterfront parks, hotels, academic institutions, and small and large tech sector and industrial businesses. Long Island City has some of the best transit access in New York City, with 8 subway lines, 13 bus lines, commuter rail, a bike-sharing service, and ferries serving the area, and LaGuardia and JFK airports are in close proximity. As part of Amazon's new headquarters, New York and Long Island City will benefit from more than 25,000 full-time high-paying jobs; approximately $2.5 billion in Amazon investment; 4 million square feet of energy-efficient office space with an opportunity to expand to 8 million square feet; and an estimated incremental tax revenue of more than $10 billion over the next 20 years as a result of Amazon's investment and job creation. Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of $1.525 billion based on the company creating 25,000 jobs in Long Island City. This includes a refundable tax credit through New York State's Excelsior Program of up to $1.2 billion calculated as a percentage of the salaries Amazon expects to pay employees over the next 10 years, which equates to $48,000 per job for 25,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000; and a cash grant from Empire State Development of $325 million based on the square footage of buildings occupied in the next 10 years. Amazon will receive these incentives over the next decade based on the incremental jobs it creates each year and as it reaches building occupancy targets. The company will separately apply for as-of-right incentives including New York City's Industrial & Commercial Abatement Program (ICAP) and New York City's Relocation and Employment Assistance Program (REAP). The community will benefit from New York City providing funding through a Payment In Lieu Of Tax (PILOT) program based on Amazon's property taxes on a portion of the development site to fund community infrastructure improvements developed through input from residents during the planning process. Amazon has agreed to donate space on its campus for a tech startup incubator and for use by artists and industrial businesses, and Amazon will donate a site for a new primary or intermediary public school. The company will also invest in infrastructure improvements and new green spaces.

"When I took office, I said we would build a new New York State – one that is fiscally responsible and fosters a business climate that is attractive to growing companies and the industries of tomorrow. We've delivered on those promises and more, and today, with Amazon committing to expand its headquarters in Long Island City, New York can proudly say that we have attracted one of the largest, most competitive economic development investments in U.S. history," said Governor Andrew M. Cuomo of New York. "With an average salary of $150,000 per year for the tens of thousands of new jobs Amazon is creating in Queens, economic opportunity and investment will flourish for the entire region. Amazon understands that New York has everything the company needs to continue its growth. The State's more than $100 billion transportation infrastructure program – the most ambitious in our history – combined with our education initiatives like K-12 tech education and the first-in-the-nation Excelsior Scholarship program, will help ensure long-term success and an unrivaled talent pool for Amazon."

"This is a giant step on our path to building an economy in New York City that leaves no one behind. We are thrilled that Amazon has selected New York City for its new headquarters," said Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City. "New Yorkers will get tens of thousands of new, good-paying jobs, and Amazon will get the best talent anywhere in the world. We're going to use this opportunity to open up good careers in tech to thousands of people looking for their foothold in the new economy, including those in City colleges and public housing. The City and State are working closely together to make sure Amazon's expansion is planned smartly, and to ensure this fast growing neighborhood has the transportation, schools, and infrastructure it needs."

Amazon in National Landing in Arlington, Virginia

National Landing is an urban community in Northern Virginia located less than 3 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. The area is served by 3 Metro stations, commuter rail access, and Reagan National Airport – all within walking distance. The community has a variety of hotels, restaurants, high-rise apartment buildings, retail, and commercial offices. National Landing has abundant parks and open space with sports and cultural events for residents of all ages throughout the year. As part of Amazon's new headquarters, Virginia and Arlington will benefit from more than 25,000 full-time high-paying jobs; approximately $2.5 billion in Amazon investment; 4 million square feet of energy-efficient office space with the opportunity to expand to 8 million square feet; and an estimated incremental tax revenue of $3.2 billion over the next 20 years as a result of Amazon's investment and job creation. Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of $573 million based on the company creating 25,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000 in Arlington. This includes a workforce cash grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia of up to $550 million based on $22,000 for each job created over the next 12 years. Amazon will only receive this incentive if it creates the forecasted high-paying jobs. The company will also receive a cash grant from Arlington of $23 million over 15 years based on the incremental growth of the existing local Transient Occupancy Tax, a tax on hotel rooms. The community and Amazon employees will benefit from the Commonwealth investing $195 million in infrastructure in the neighborhood, including improvements to the Crystal City and the Potomac Yards Metro stations; a pedestrian bridge connecting National Landing and Reagan National Airport; and work to improve safety, accessibility, and the pedestrian experience crossing Route 1 over the next 10 years. Arlington will also dedicate an estimated $28 million based on 12% of future property tax revenues earned from an existing Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district for on-site infrastructure and open space in National Landing.

"This is a big win for Virginia – I'm proud Amazon recognizes the tremendous assets the Commonwealth has to offer and plans to deepen its roots here," said Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia. "Virginia put together a proposal for Amazon that we believe represents a new model of economic development for the 21st century, and I'm excited to say that our innovative approach was successful. The majority of Virginia's partnership proposal consists of investments in our education and transportation infrastructure that will bolster the features that make Virginia so attractive: a strong and talented workforce, a stable and competitive business climate, and a world-class higher education system."

"We are proud that Amazon has selected National Landing for a major new headquarters. This is, above all, a validation of our community's commitment to sustainability, transit-oriented development, affordable housing, and diversity," said Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol. "The strength of our workforce coupled with our proximity to the nation's capital makes us an attractive business location. But Arlington's real strength is the decades of planning that have produced one of the most vibrant, civically engaged communities in the world. Those plans have paved the way for this investment, and we look forward to engaging the Arlington community about Amazon's plans and how we can grow together."

Amazon's new Operations Center of Excellence in Nashville

Downtown Nashville, along the Cumberland River, is the heart of the city just north of the Gulch and is home to urban living, retail, restaurants, entertainment venues, hospitality, open green spaces, and offices. The area is served by commuter rail, more than a dozen bus routes, and is a 15-minute drive to Nashville International Airport. As part of Amazon's investment, Tennessee, Davidson County and the city of Nashville will benefit from 5,000 full-time, high-paying jobs; over $230 million in investment; 1 million square feet of energy-efficient office space; and an estimated incremental tax revenue of more than $1 billion over the next 10 years as a result of Amazon's investment and job creation. Amazon will receive performance-based direct incentives of up to $102 million based on the company creating 5,000 jobs with an average wage of over $150,000 in Nashville. This includes a cash grant for capital expenditures from the state of Tennessee of $65 million based on the company creating 5,000 jobs over the next 7 years, which is equivalent to $13,000 per job; a cash grant from the city of Nashville of up to $15 million based on $500 for each job created over the next 7 years; and a job tax credit to offset franchise and excise taxes from the state of Tennessee of $21.7 million based on $4,500 per new job over the next 7 years.

"We want to thank Amazon for its continued investment in the state of Tennessee and are excited about the additional 5,000 corporate jobs they will be creating in Nashville," said Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee. "It has never been clearer that Tennessee is a great place to do business, and we continue to attract a wide variety of global companies that provide high-paying, quality jobs for our residents."

"Amazon's decision to expand its presence in Nashville is a direct result of the talented workforce and strong community we've built here," said Mayor David Briley of Nashville. "These are quality, high-paying jobs that will boost our economy, provide our workers with new opportunities, and show the rest of the world that Nashville is a premiere location for business investment. We thank Amazon for investing in Nashville, and we look forward to welcoming them to this community."

With more than 610,000 employees worldwide, including over 250,000 in North America, Amazon ranks #1 on American Customer Satisfaction Index, #2 on Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies, #1 on The Harris Poll's Corporate Reputation survey, and #1 on LinkedIn's U.S. Top Companies, a ranking recognizing the most desirable workplaces in the country. Amazon was also recently included in the Military Times' Best for Vets list of companies committed to providing opportunities for military veterans.

All economic impact and incentive figures are best estimates calculated by relevant entities in each of the selected communities based on current information. To learn more about Amazon's new sites, visit https://blog.aboutamazon.com/company-news/amazon-selects-new-york-city-and-northern-virginia-for-new-headquarters.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

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Happy Holiday Hiring!

Although most job seekers tend to shut down, or at least slow down, their job search activities during the holidays, that’s not actually a smart thing to do. Yes, some employees may be on vacation, but most employers have jobs they want filled before January 1.

No Hiring During “the Holidays”??

“Everyone knows” that employers don’t hire during the holidays. WRONG!

Typically, more hiring happens in November and December than happens in January and February. Comparing the end of 2014 to the beginning of 2015, using the U.S. Department of Labor’s JOLTS reports:

December, 2014 — 5.239 million hires

January, 2015 — 4.996 million hires

Two important notes about the JOLTS data: the December hires were not “holiday job” hires, and many of the January hires were most likely filled based on job interviews in November and December.

3 Benefits of the No-Hiring-During-the-Holidays Myth

Three important facts make the holidays the best time of the year to find a new job:

1. Employers are eager to fill their jobs before the year ends.

The end of the year is a busy time for most organizations. Goals for the current year need to be met. Projects need to be completed. Budgets are being planned for the next year.

Smart managers want to demonstrate that their budgets should not be reduced.

If a manager has unfilled jobs, it looks like they don’t need those people, so the next year’s budget can be reduced. A budget reduction means less money to spend and, very likely, fewer opportunities for the next year. Filling the jobs — or finalizing the hiring process — usually means those budget dollars are safe for the next year.

2. Fewer job seekers mean less competition for those jobs.

With so many people dropping out of the job market for the holidays, the job seekers who stay active face far less competition for the jobs those managers are trying hard to fill.

3. Networking is painless and effortless (mostly) during the holidays.

The holidays are the perfect time to step away from your computer and pay more attention to the networking opportunities that are multiplying all around you.

From holiday gatherings with old school friends to family dinners, holiday parties, and even happy holiday cards, reach out to your network. Connect and re-connect. Spread holiday good wishes.

When asked what you are doing, share that you are in a job search. Unless you are employed, don’t keep your job search a secret. To be most effective, know the job and the employers you want. Prepare your elevator pitch so you are ready when opportunities appear.

For MANY more holiday job search tips…

Grab a free copy of New Year, New Job! 101+ Top Tips from Job-Hunt Experts for Your Holiday Job Search Success. This is the second edition of a book which is a 5-star Kindle book on Amazon.

More Information About Holiday Job Search

Is Job Hunting During the Holidays a Waste of Time?

6 Ways to Make the Most of This Holiday Season

Answering Those Awkward Holiday Party Questions: STILL Unemployed?

© Copyright, 2018, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved. About the Author…
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 2011, NETability purchased WorkCoachCafe.com, which Susan has been editor and publisher of WorkCoach since then. Susan also edits and publishes Job-Hunt.org. Ronnie Ann, founder of Work Coach Cafe, bases her real-world advice on her many years as an organizational consultant where she helped interview and hire people, added to a certificate from NYU in Career Planning & Development and her own adventures as a serial job seeker.

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5 ‘dumb things’ smart vets do in their job search

Regardless of how well you succeeded in your military career, there are job search skills you must learn to develop for your civilian career path.

Here are five “dumb things” that really smart veterans do that affect their job search:

Relying on one resume. In today’s job market, you will need multiple resumes for different strategies. Using one type of resume for every employer is an outdated approach that will lengthen your transition. Instead use a variety of resume formats such as; chronological, functional and combination that will best meet the employer’s need in a clear, concise way. You may need to use one page or multiple pages depending on your situation.

Assuming employers know their skills. Landing a good job requires selling yourself. To effectively sell your skills, you need to “translate” your military experience and verbalize them in a way that adds value to the workplace. Think like an employer who does not understand military jargon. Avoid using the same skills repeatedly in your resume and during your introduction with others.

For example, leadership is important, but you bring other abilities as well such as organization, critical thinking and problem solving.

Misunderstanding interviewing. Many times, the most qualified candidate doesn’t get the job, rather it’s the one who knows how to build rapport and connects their skills to the employer’s needs.

Interviewing is an exchange of information, and it’s your job to make sure the interviewer understands how your experience will help them solve their business problems. Pay attention to your non-verbal language as well as how you answer questions. Practice asking open-ended questions to convey you understand the job position.

Searching without a personal brand. Teamwork in the military is a core value, and employers appreciate your understanding of teams. However, in a job search, you are marketing your unique skills to an employer.

A simple definition of a personal brand is the way people remember you. You can start creating your personal brand by answering two questions: who are you and how do you want to be seen?

Fixating on what they lack. Job searching can be stressful due to the “unknown” aspect of change. No doubt, veterans will bring with them top-notch skills in both leadership and technical areas, but in the civilian market you may need to acquire different skills for specific jobs.

Kimberly Thompson is a board-certified counselor. Send questions to kim@careerrescue.com or Houston Chronicle, P.O. Box 4260, Houston, TX 77210. Visit her blog at www.blog.chron.com/careerrescue.

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