Archive for June, 2009

Keiretsu 4th Annual Summer Solstice (6/30): How Women Investors and Entrepreneurs Will Revive the California Economy

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Keiretsu is putting on their 4th annual “Summer Solstice” this Tuesday, June 30th.  The event will focus on how women investors and entrepreneurs will revive the California economy, and will feature a panel of business women who will discuss a myriad of issues confronting the entrepreneurial community today. This seems like a great event and will feature keynotes from Rashmi Sinha, Co-Founder and CEO of SlideShare, and Amanda Wallis, Managing Director for the California and Nevada regsions of U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management.  There will also be a panel discussion with several prominent women in the investment area and entrepreneurs from the Keiretsu Forum and Women’s Initiative.

More details can be found at http://summersolstice.eventbrite.com/

More information about Keiretsu: Keiretsu is the world’s largest angel investor network with over 750 accredited investor members throughout its 18 chapters on three continents. Since Keiretsu Forum’s founding in 2000, its members have invested over $180 million in 200 companies in technology, consumer products, healthcare/life sciences, real estate and other segments with high growth potential. Forum members collaborate in the due diligence, but make individual investment decisions, with rounds in the range of $250K-$2 million.

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Which industries are still hiring in California?

Friday, June 26th, 2009

The good news for those of you in search of a job is that the educational and health care industries in California are doing relatively well. The EDD (Employment Development Department) is reporting that 2,100 new jobs are popping up in healthcare and education across the state. If you’re into working with the needy, the sick, or those still schooling, or if your typical haunts on other job boards seem rather empty, this might be a good time to think about a career change.

In less encouraging news, the EDD did point out that May figures for the Californian Unemployment Rate are showing a troubling increase to 11.5%. Unfortunately, it’s looking like California is one of the harder hit states in the country as the average unemployment rate for the US is currently hovering around a somewhat healthier 9.4%.

Unemployment Rate May 2009

That’s not to say that no companies in California are hiring though. Google, Sprint, Yahoo and a few other companies all have jobs listed on the Jobnob job boards. So be sure to check out what typical starting salaries for your profession are and see what jobs we have listed for software engineers, marketing professionals, graphic artists or even winemakers. Don’t let the Unemployment Blues get to you. There are still a lot of cool jobs out there, so aim high!

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When you should ask for a raise

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

Knowing when you should speak to your boss about getting a raise in your salary can be a bit of a touchy subject for a lot of people. Everyone wants to be assured that their salaries are - at the very least - comparable to what they are actually “worth” on the job market. After all, work occupies a majority of the time of your life, and most people would like to know whether or not they’re being a chump working for nothing more than a bit of spare change.

I’m not sure about your mom, but I was always taught by mine that talking about money with someone you know (no less your boss) is a big no-no. I think that’s why many people will altogether just put off talking about their salary with their employer, no matter how much it might bug them. And unfortunately, this can sometimes make a person end up feeling angry, dejected and/or resentful in regards to their job - all because they feel that they’re “unappreciated” or “being taken advantage of.”

But as much of a taboo as you may think asking for a raise is, holding your feelings in like that helps no one at all. In reality, if you’re doing a good job at work and you really are being under compensated, having information to backup your claim for a raise will only make your case stronger. This is where Jobnob can help. Jobnob’s wealth of salary information can give you accurate and up-to-date information that you can use to know where you stand. If you’re being grossly underpaid, Jobnob’s salary information can give you an idea of what other professionals in your field of expertise are being paid. Who knows; we might even be able to give you some inside information about your very own workplace.

Google-salary

Now, I’m not saying that you should immediately research how much everyone else is making and shove that information in your boss’s face (especially in light of the current economic climate). Instead, knowing if you’re being underpaid is a powerful way to measure if you should be looking for a raise, or if that salary adjustment you got in your last evaluation really was “on the top of the curve.”

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