Press

There are hundreds of job boards on the internet, many of which are either very specific or very worthless. To help people find the best ones, we created the Job Board Directory on TheCanned.com.

Over the last month we have gotten a hundred or so comments on this section. People write things like:

• “I need a job. can do concrete management work. (Redi Mix) Have beena rebar detailer and estimator for last 6 years +”
• “Interested in strategic marketing/branding position in the New York City/Westchester/So. Connecticut area”
• “Looking for an instructor position in the Cosmetology field”

These comments tell me two things: First, the job board directory is confusing and needs to be redesigned (it has been and a shiny, new directory is coming soon). Second, people need some guidance about how to network and job search online. Since we already covered The Truth About Job Boards, let’s take a look at online networking.

LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter… these can all be valuable resources in your job search. Chris Brogan writes some decent articles on building personal and business networks if you’re interested in lots of details. If you’re intersted in the quick scoop, from the perspective of a job seeker, then keep reading. Read the rest of this entry »

No, I’m not referring to the great bell of the clock at the northeastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. Not even Pittsburgh’s Big Ben Roethlisberger, nor J-Lo’s ex, Big Ben Affleck. I’m talking about Federal Reserve Chairman, Big Ben Bernanke.

Mike and I were scheduled to appear on Fox’s Business Week this afternoon to discuss the unemployment numbers from last month and how TheCanned.com can help the many newly canned workers. Unfortunately, Big Ben Bernanke was asked to appear in our place.

Though you won’t be able to see us on TV today, we will persevere. Our efforts to promote TheCanned.com have only been strengthened by Big Ben Bernanke’s media-hungry selfishness.

You’ve won the battle, Big Ben, but TheCanned.com will inevitably win the war against unemployment.

If you’re involved in policy, then the unemployment rate is a key indicator of economic health. If you’re forecasting economic trends, then the same is true. But for the average job-seeker, this rate is little more than a distraction.

People are getting canned at increasing rates. If you’re reading this blog, then you already know that. We’re also in a recession, by the way, in case you’ve been living in a cave for the last six months. That’s about all the context you need in order to understand the level of competition in the job markets and to set realistic expectations.

Economic indicators, and especially the unemployment rate, are poor representations of individual opportunity. The stock of unemployed people is rising, and this is concerning to policymakers. But this is a $14+ trillion economy, and the labor markets don’t simply freeze in a recession. Businesses open and close, industries expand and contract, jobs get created and destroyed, positions get filled and vacated; the economy, and by proxy the job market, is always in motion. This motion ensures a flow of opportunities for individuals in all times. It just takes more time, more effort, more tact, and more luck to make it happen when that stock of opportunities wanes.

In addition, few people know how to interpret the unemployment rate.

First, less is not always better. Excess labor cools an expanding economy and prevents inflation, helping the economy to grow at a healthy clip. Economists disagree about where the break point is, but the “target” or “natural” rate of unemployment is probably somewhere north of 5 percent.

Second, the unemployment rate is a trailing indicator. This means that unemployment will continue to rise for a quarter or so after the broader economy has already turned around.

Lastly, the figure only counts people who are actively looking for work. Discouraged or retired workers do not count. As people give up, reignite a job search, or return from retirement, the unemployment rate will change. It’s important to realize that layoffs are not the only determinant.

Now that you know how to interpret the unemployment rate, you can feel educated when you ignore the latest release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics this Friday. If you’re looking for a distraction, watch Chris and me on Fox Business News during the lunch hour.

MSNBC’s Tamron Hall interviewed co-founder Mike Trapanese this past Monday, March 16th. They liked him so much that they asked him to come back soon! We’ll update you with the date and time as soon as we have them.

You can view Monday’s interview by clicking here.

Chris Merritt-Lish, co-founder of TheCanned.com, was featured on Fox News yesterday discussing how the Web site can benefit the unemployed.

Click here to watch the interview.

We’d like to apologies to anyone who tried to access the site between 11:50AM and 12:10PM this afternoon. Both MSNBC & Fox News aired a segment on TheCanned.com and our Web server was swamped with traffic, causing some temporary downtime. We’re now back up and running and will continue to bring you the lighter side of unemployment. If you’d like to contact us, feel free to send an e-mail to contact@thecanned.com.

TheCanned.com was featured in the NY Daily News article, Unemployment site TheCanned.com is brainchild of laid off workers, in Sunday, March 15th’s paper. Journalist Carrie Melago wrote a spectacular article describing what TheCanned is all about — The Lighter Side of Unemployment.

Check out the article here!

TheCanned was interviewed this morning by KFNN’s Ken Morgan and Julie Dougherty on their morning show, Business for Breakfast.

Today, TheCanned was listed on CNBC’s On The Money “Sites of the Day.” You can find it here. We’re keeping our fingers crossed that we will be mentioned by Carmen Wong Ulrich on her program tonight (2/10/09) at
10PM EST/7PM PT.

WalletPop.com, a Web site and online magazine dealing with personal finance, covered TheCanned.com in a recent story. Author Geoff Williams writes: “If you’re unemployed, or employed but think you’ll be out of a job soon, or just want to find a new position, it’s definitely a site that’s worth taking a look at.”