Skilled Trades Careers Blog

Moving on

You know it's a tough economy out there when you write about careers day in and out - and then get laid off. Yes, yours truly is the latest casualty of the economic downturn!

So what happens? Well, I went back through past posts, jotted down my own advice - and set up an action plan. If you're like me, you need a list to actually get anything done. So I wrote down a daily 'to do' list, designed to generate useful activity: turning up job leads, perfecting my resume, networking, and identifying companies I really want to work for.

The result? Yet to be seen - but trust me, activity is better than inactivity. As much as anyone, I know there are still companies looking for great employees like you and me - you just have to find them.

And this blog? It will continue under new authorship, starting today. So farewell, good luck, and happy hunting!

There's growth out there - in tacos

In our never-ending search for positive news in a not-so-positive economic environment, we found this tidbit:

"Many of the Taco Bell franchises...experienced 8-10% increases in comparable-store sales for 2008.Rodney Walker, the president and co-owner of 42 Taco Bell and KFC restaurants in Michigan said, “While comparable-store sales are up significantly, we always focus on the fundamentals. Rain or sunshine, recession or economic exuberance, we have always believed that the key to multi-unit success is people, people, and people.”"

This begs the question - are tacos the food of the skilled trades? Let us know.

Green jobs and your career

We've talked about this before, but it's worth repeating: green careers are growing. For example:

$80 Billion for greening federal buildings: The U.S. Department of Energy awarded 16 new Energy Savings Performance Contracts that could result in up to $80 billion in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation projects at federally-owned buildings and facilities.

Green buildings are the future:  More than 80 percent of commercial building owners have allocated funds to green initiatives this year.

Green plumbing certifications coming:  PHCC and GreenPlumbers® USA are partnering to train and certify plumbers across the nation on the environmental impact and technical aspects of water and energy efficient technologies.

So...what are you doing to 'green' your career? Brush up those skills. Volunteer to install a tankless water heater, solar panel, or geothermal system. Learn BACneT. You'll be insuring your own 'green' career future!