Really? DC?

I found this blog posting and thought it was interesting. I know that many mainframe developers are currently assignment-shopping -- perhaps stimulus projects are the Holy Grail. Full text reprinted below.

Looking for a job? Look for it in D.C.

The increase in government spending and the stimulus package are turning Washington, D.C. into a place to look for a job.

In many big US cities unemployment rate is a two-digit figure reaching as high as 17% in Detroit. However, there is an exception: Washington, D.C. (also including Northern Virginia, and parts of Maryland). Stimulus spending caused a boom in government jobs and has kept the unemployment rate down to approximately 6%, which is among the lowest in the country.

In the beginning of the recession, the D.C. metro area was considered the top place for job seekers to avoid due to manufacturing and construction industries that have been severely affected by the downturn. But Washington’s leading industry is the federal government expansion, which actually has to expand to remedy high unemployment and slow economy.

The expansion includes the fastest-growing homeland security division, which didn’t exist just a few years ago. And the recent stimulus package that Congress passed in February, helps to create a great number of new federal employee positions to oversee infrastructure projects spending, renewable energy grants, and many other things.

The more money is spent by the government, the more federal oversight needed to ensure it gets spent accurately and responsibly. It also means more academics to think it over, more policy-makers to create new policies, more lawyers to resolve conflicts, and more reporters to write articles about it, etc.

Of course, D.C. hasn’t been entirely unaffected by the downturn. The unemployment is slowly growing, but at a fraction of the rate of other metropolitan areas.

Does your email address warn 'Don't Hire Me!'?

You've spent dozens of man-hours researching prevailing resume trends, identifying your most impressive and marketable experiences, and polishing the language in your resume and coverletter until it sings. Maybe you've even dropped a few hard earned rupees on a resume expert and some career counseling.

You're networking, you're LinkingIn, you're working the job boards and the corporate boards until your carpal tunnel feels like a New Year's Day hangover.

So why are you negating all this effort by continuing to use your privatedancer@hothothotmail.com email address on your profiles and resume?

Is your email address sending a red flag, or at least a raised eyebrow, to the recruiter and hiring manager?

It's very easy to get a free email address with some facsimile of your name at gmail or hotmail or yahoo for professional use. Actually for less than $10 per year you can buy your own domain with at least one email box to use in your job search and for other professional needs.

Wouldn't john@johnquincyadams.com at the top of your resume send a much more appealing message to a future employer than ganjagary@yahoo.com?

'Tis the Season

We're off! We've just left the starting gate of this holiday season, there are four weeks until the New Year's finish line, and maybe even another 2-4 weeks beyond that before hiring cranks back up to our current 'normal' rate. But this doesn't mean your job search has to bolt.

Now -- winter break -- is actually the perfect time to do a little housekeeping that you have probably not been able to get to while treating your job search as your full time job. Here are some suggestions.

Update your resume. During your job search you've spoken with dozens of recruiters who have given you their expert opinion about how your experiences and skills should be displayed to best attract favorable attention from hiring managers. You may have received examples of resumes which have been successful for your recruiter. You may have even agreed with the suggestions, in theory, at the time, but didn't have adequate time to work on your resume. Now you have that time.

Update your online profiles. Once your resume is current, revisit your profiles online -- resume repositories, corporate sites, all of them. Upload your shiny new resume, ensure your profile includes the skills you want to highlight for potential employers. Ensure your canned searches are targeting the types of positions you're interested in. An updated profile resets the timestamp, giving your resume greater potential for being found in a search.

Enhance your LinkedIn profile. Include a robust and creative description of (a minimum of) the last 15 years of your career experience. Connect with everyone you've ever ridden an elevator with. Write glowing recommendations for connections -- chances are many of them will reciprocate. Join groups -- alumni groups, business focus groups, etc. -- and search these groups for connections you may have missed. Let your connections know that you're looking for your next assignment.

Network. Networking is hands down the most effective way to find your next assignment. Your connections who are currently working can be a wealth of information about opportunities and a conduit directly to hiring managers. And it's been my experience that these days connections are open to helping friends. Work these valuable connections!

Learn to fully exploit tools available to you. Various job search engines have functionality to run automated queries against multiple databases and deliver the results directly to your inbox. Work smart, not hard. Take this time to implement process improvements to make your job search more efficient.

Start fresh. Take the last week of the year off from your search -- a real vacation -- and start the new year with a newly stated goal and a new attitude about the search -- Career Search Resolutions. Revamp your daily routine, get dressed and have breakfast, work out. Work your LinkedIn, work your connections, and read online tips to add life to your efforts.

Good luck!