Archive -- Career Center

Archive: July 2008

April Bettinger

Now: Construction exec Then: Bakery worker Current position: General manager of Shirey Handyman, an Issaquah-based company that provides maintenance, repair and small-remodel services to homeowners in the Seattle area. First job: Working at a bakery inside a grocery store...

July 29, 2008 | 1 Comment

Bricklayer

Pay: Bricklayers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area earned an average $29.80 an hour or $61,980 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle 50 percent earned between $55,890 and $68,020. Demand: Job opportunities are expected to be...

July 25, 2008 | 2 Comments

Forget stereotypes: Accounting is cool

The mousy pencil-pusher image is no more. Accountants speak the language of business, and they are much in demand. Students are flocking to enroll in programs.

July 25, 2008 | Post a comment

Amid scams, some do find work at home

With gas prices and joblessness on the rise, more people are looking seriously at working from home. Also multiplying are the online scam artists who seek to profit from this trend.

July 21, 2008 | 5 Comments

Why companies facing layoffs are on the hunt for new hires

By CAROL HYMOWITZ The Wall Street Journal Companies typically shed talent rather than search for new or additional employees during periods of economic slowdowns. That could change, though. Even as they contemplate layoffs, many companies also are hunting for...

July 21, 2008 | Post a comment

Insurance sales agent

Pay: The annual median income for insurance sales agents in the Seattle-Bellevue-Tacoma area is $52,700, with most earning between $40,950 and $75,110, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many independent agents are paid by commission only. Employees of...

July 18, 2008 | Post a comment

Debbie Whitlock

Now: company president Then: budwood harvester Current position: President and co-founder, Sound Financial Partners, which creates sustainable investment strategies for women in transition due to divorce or the death of their husband or partner. First job: At 13, I...

July 18, 2008 | Post a comment

Don't look for apology; state what you want

By Daneen Skube Syndicated Columnist Q: One of my co-workers has been thoughtless and rude to me. I think he owes me an apology. I always apologize when I make mistakes. How can I get the apology I deserve?...

July 18, 2008 | 3 Comments

Legal secretary

Beginning legal secretaries earn a median income of $38,595 in the Seattle area, and the most experienced, with at least seven years in the field, earned a median of $53,674.

July 14, 2008 | Post a comment

Nate Thompson

Now: Company president Then: Staff writer Current position: Founder and president of Cypress Consulting, a business consulting, technology and creative-services firm. First job: A staff writer at Downtown Source, a free weekly tabloid publication featuring happenings, food, music and...

July 14, 2008 | Post a comment

Hiring interns for free labor is a no-no

Many summer interns are willing to work for free just to get a foot in the door. It's tempting for employers, but it can land a firm in more trouble than it's worth.

July 14, 2008 | 9 Comments

Postal-service worker

Pay: Postal Service mail carriers earned an average of $43,860 a year or $21.09 an hour in the Seattle-Everett-Bellevue area in 2007, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. Post-office clerks earned an average $44,020; and mail sorters, processors...

July 7, 2008 | 3 Comments

Dwight R. Frindt

Now: company co-founder Then: assistant awning installer Current position: Principal and co-founder, 2130 Partners, an executive leadership development and education firm First job: helped the lead installers with building new awnings, assembling frames, installing awnings, taking them down, washing...

July 7, 2008 | Post a comment

Utilities hunt for workers to replace wave of retirees

By GABRIEL BAIRD The Plain Dealer THOMAS ONDREY / THE PLAIN DEALER Scott Simmerly, far right, a lineman with Cleveland Public Power, demonstrates for Anyanwu Davis, 18, how utility workers free their hands to work. Meanwhile, O'Bryant Jennings, 17,...

July 7, 2008 | 1 Comment

Stop lunch-stealers and coffee-drainers

By Megan K. Scott The Associated Press AP Photo / Stace Maude Smashing someone else's lunch in the refrigerator to make way for your own. Draining the last of the coffee in the pot and not refilling it. Leaving...

July 1, 2008 | 1 Comment