Take an industry that’s as old as the abacus, and add four years of higher education — plus a fifth for those seeking better prospects and higher pay. Subtract the effects of a jobless recovery, and multiply by the mystery factor of this year’s business scandals. What’s the bottom line for college students and recent [...]

I attended a recent presentation by Michael R. Losey, former president of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), titled “The Labor Shortage: Why and What to Do About It.” In the current economic climate, this topic may challenge popular attitudes and assumptions. But I was truly inspired. Cold, hard facts can be uplifting, especially [...]

As a professional writer and interviewer, I am often asked about the many celebrities I profile: “What are they really like?” And though it may sound hokey, I find that these stars share many traits with the successful businessmen and women that I profile for CareerBuilder. Ultimately, it’s all a matter of focus. To illustrate [...]

Disaster Preparedness: A 10-Point Plan You must be ready to handle sudden career changes. When I gave notice at my last job, my manager told me not to bother coming in anymore–that day was to be my last. So, instead of enjoying a leisurely day at the office–saying goodbye to colleagues, tying up loose ends, [...]

Wait Not, Want Not You have to know when to move on. “I really felt stuck. I stayed, hoping it would get better,” recalls Marilyn Fox, a journalist who used to work for a music Web site. “It never did.” It took Fox nearly three years to learn that her job would never take her [...]

The current economic slowdown cost the U.S. workforce more than 140,000 jobs in January, the highest reported number of layoffs since 1993. These numbers indicate that job security is suffering through a severe shock. And while finding a new job is a hard enough, displaced workers often find it difficult to adjust emotionally to their [...]

Does online education really measure up? Why sit in a classroom when you can boot up your PC in the comfort of your home and participate in anything from a single course to a full degree-bound academic program? Michael Fortier will attest to that. Fortier, 38, has been enrolled in online degree programs since 1999 [...]

A practical guide to living and working in the City of Angels. Native Californians are perplexed by the phrase back East. Back to what? Humidity? Hurricanes? Sub-zero temperatures and slushy, grimy snow? Los Angeles has its share of problems–smog, earthquakes, floods, forest fires–but it also has bikini-clad babes blading down the boardwalk, a bright white [...]

You don’t need a Harvard MBA anymore, at least not for major career success. Many senior corporate stars have taken a very unorthodox academic route on their way to the top, experts say. Or they ditched the idea of getting a college degree entirely. Don’t Fence Me In Of course, a Harvard MBA (or equivalent [...]

Inside an elite squad of computer technicians. Bill Gates might be offended if you called him a geek, but 31-year-old Robert Stephens would not. Though Gates put the word into the everyday lexicon, Stephens has truly elevated the “geek” to cool status. Stephens is much more than a computer guy. He bills himself as “Chief [...]