Current events and jobs

I was wondering about how current events affect jobs: job growth, job seeking, or career interests.
It seems obvious to me, but there are plenty of people who pay no mind to the news. So I searched on-line for something about the intersection of news and jobs and up popped this article from October 2012: Job Growth: How Following Current Events Can Boost Your Career  by Come Recommended.

Advice that rings true today.

The Skills Matching Game

How do you decide what to pursue and what to learn if you have any number of skills and interests?
Here's an infographic from BurningGlass* for you to contemplate.

*"Using big data to make the labor market work."

Going back to school for skills?

Are you thinking about developing skills in a specific industry or to address a particular career-related interest?
A recent article in the Heckinger Report, "covering innovation and inequality in education," addresses the trend in students who graduated from bachelor degree programs returning to community colleges, for specific skills and knowledge. Titled Graduates of Four Year Universities Flock to Community Colleges for Job Skills, the journalist interviews individuals and looks at data on this topic. You can read all about it here.
Do you know people who are doing this, or have done so? It might be interesting to do a little informational interviewing to hear their stories.

2014-16 Hiring results and outlook

Like info and stats on hiring? Some good articles can be found at the research site of this firm.

According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2016 is looking good for the graduating class. Details and addtional news.

What's Important to YOU?

The news from the National Association of Colleges and Employers is that the most important aspect of a job to the class of 2013 graduating college seniors, is opportunity for personal growth
(http://www.naceweb.org/s10162013/employer-job-preferences-student-survey.aspx?land-surv-lp-1-spot-jbprf-10182013).
Do you share this view? If so, what have you done to enhance your opportunity to realize your personal growth? This isn't magic, just hard work. Finding a good niche reflects your own self-awareness, knowledge of the world of work and recognition of successful job-hunting techniques.
Much of these topics have been covered in previous postings. Once you have collected the data (what's important to you, what's out there, and how to uncover opportunities) take time to weigh the pros and cons before plunging into the fray.
Good luck!

Here's some encouraging news!

The National Association of Colleges and Employers publishes statistics on annual outcomes by college major. The good news is that liberal arts majors have increased their starting salary status in the current job market. Read more, here:  http://www.naceweb.org/s02062013/liberal-arts-salaries.aspx

Tips on using LinkedIn and other social media in your job search, in a NYT article by Phyllis Korkki: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/jobs/how-job-seekers-can-say-look-at-me-to-online-recruiters.html?src=recg&pagewanted=print