Hiring: Systems Support Engineer II - Riverside, RI

Are you a developer with Java and/or ColdFusion experience looking to work on user access management with an IT Security focus, then consider the remainder of the details in this recently posted position with RBS Citizens Bank in East Providence, RI.

If not, then consider sharing this with your network - someone may find this a good opportunity!


Job Title: Systems Support Eng II

Job ID: 392129
Location: Riverside, RI
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

Responsibilities
The Systems Support Engineer will provide support for business initiatives that require analysis and technical solutions. Primary responsibilities will be to support IT Security and TSA initiatives. Must be proficient with script and code solutions.

Deliverables:

• Successfully supporting the RBS Citizens implementation of SailPoint, and associated application processes
• Development support for other department owned IT Security applications
• Critical Competencies: skills and abilities required for the role
• IT Risk or Information Security experience, preferably in a large corporate or financial services environment
• Experience with Identity Management systems and overall User Access Management principles
• Experience with one of more of Java, XML, ColdFusion and other scripting/code development tools
• Experience with Mainframe security access technology (TopSecret, GN)
• Understanding of User Entitlement Reviews (SailPoint)
• Understanding of access security methods with Active Directory

Experience:

• Proven experience with complex risk issues in a technology environment and appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Knowledgeable on the regulatory requirements that impact the business lines that TSA supports (i.e. GLBA, SOX, AML)
• Clear understanding of CoBIT and ITIL Frameworks

Other Significant Role Requirements:

• Serve as the senior technical lead for all bank initiatives related to the implementation of automated account provisioning, modification and removal.
• Responsibilities include creating technical documents for various Identity Management technologies including ITIM and Identity IQ implementations.
• Ensures security infrastructure is within the Security and Audit guidelines set by the respective departments.
• Develop and maintain procedures and documentation related to the configurations of various Identity Management technologies.
• Alpha test and assist in Beta testing all developed various Identity Management technologies
• Develop complex workflows in the ITIM and Identity IQ configuration interfaces
• Develop service adapters to automate access modifications across complex systems
• Work extensively with vendors to ensure deployment meets or exceeds industry deployment.
• Provide 3rd level support on automated access problems
• On occasion, addresses a small group on a technical/risk related subject or presents on a risk related topic
• Asks insightful, open questions to solidify own understanding to achieve acceptable solutions
• On occasion, runs a project level meeting
• Uses appropriate communication channels to keep people informed
• Adapts the method and style of communications to changing circumstances and needs
• Ability to deliver under pressure and cope with a demanding workload often operating to tight deadlines

Scope of Role:

• TSA – IT Security technologies and future strategies/transformation
• Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent, Risk or Security Certification a plus
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite
• Demonstrated PC Skills

Familiarity with:

• Server and Client Operating Systems
• Various Network Topologies
• Various Protocols
• Scripting Technologies
• PDLC
• SDLC

Hours and Work Schedule
Hours per Week: 40
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00AM-5:00PM

Equal Employment Opportunity
It is the policy of RBS Citizens, N.A. to provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, pregnancy/childbirth, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability or perceived disability, genetic information, citizenship, veteran or military status, marital or domestic partner status, or any other factor protected by federal, state and/or local laws.

392129

You can apply online at this link 

Elevator Speech: How to Get to The Next Level

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Anne Crawford. The facilitator for this week will be Barbara McKee. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Anne will talk about "Elevator Speech: How to Get to The Next Level"

Elevator Speech: How to Get to The Next Level

This workshop will cover the three essential steps to help you form a precise "Elevator Speech". Anne will discuss your own personal strengths and help you compile a 30 second introduction that does not sound like a machine talking, but actually reflects who you are and hooks them in the process. Be prepared to bring paper, pen, and an open mind. Remember: The key to your success is in yourself. Anne is just trained to bring it out.

About Anne Crawford
Anne Crawford is a certified life coach specializing in career transitions. She has run workshops for over 5 years, helping men and women recognize their strengths, find clarity in their visions and achieve manageable goals. She is an expert in understanding human behaviors, what drives our emotions, and what is holding her clients back from the life and careers they deserve. Anne has been published in magazines, newspapers, and loves group and individual one on one coaching. She has spoken at many events and assists Bill Lippincott with the Employment Support group of Norton, MA.

Recap of HNG Meeting of December 7, 2012:
Our 89th meeting of HNG had 32 people, this is 14 less than the previous meeting and 4 signed the New Member list. Vincent Rocheleau was our facilitator. There were three introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Cliff Lander, who talked about eBay. The number of eBay registered users today would make it the fifth largest country in the world. Just about anything you can imagine is sold on eBay. Today you can own an eBay franchise for $0.00. Of course you need a computer, printer and digital scale plus a few office and shipping supplies.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:
January 4, 2013 TBD
January 18, 2013 Speaker assigned
February 1, 2013 Speaker assigned
February 15, 2013 TBD

General Information:
The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:

Diane Elhilow delhilow@comcast.net
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Barbara McKee barb6635@comcast.net
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com
Salpi Sarafian ssarafian@rcn.com

Hopkinton Networking Group: "Why eBay?"

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Cliff Lander. The facilitator for this week will be Vincent Rocheleau. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Cliff will talk about "Why eBay?"

Why eBay?

The number of eBay registered users today would make it the fifth largest country in the world. Just about anything you can imagine is sold on eBay. Learn locally..sell globally.
Yes, it is that easy with eBay. Today you can own an eBay franchise for $0.00. Of course you need a computer, printer and digital scale plus a few office and shipping supplies.

About Cliff Lander

Clifford Lander is an Education Specialist Trained by eBay. Lander has been selling and training since 1999. A Power Seller and a Top Rated
Seller he has taught many individuals and businesses how to sell effectively on eBay. Previous students are making a part time and some a full time living on eBay.

Clifford Lander
cliffsclasses@gmail.com
(401) 451-3198
www.clifflander.com

Recap of HNG Meeting of November 16, 2012:

Our 88th meeting of HNG had 46 people, this is 13 more than the previous meeting and 13 signed the New Member list. Sandra Cipriani was our facilitator. There were eleven introduction speeches.

We had one landing:
Sandra Cipriani Training Manager at Olympus in Southborough

We had a speaker, Carol Landes, a full-time contract technical writer, provided tips on how to work with agencies that place us on temporary assignments. She described the current climate at the agencies and how job seekers can navigate this intricate maze so their resumes will be noticed and presented to the hiring clients.
The topics she covered during the presentation were:
* The state of contracting
* Advantages and disadvantages of contracting
* Types of agency contracts
* Methods for contacting agencies
* Submitting resumes
* Working with recruiters
* Interviews
* Accepting assignments
* Working conditions

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

December 21, 2012 Anne Crawford "Elevator Speech"

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators: 
Diane Elhilow delhilow@comcast.net 
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net 
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com 
Barbara McKee barb6635@comcast.net 
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com 
Salpi Sarafian ssarafian@rcn.com 

Networking Group meeting - Friday, Nov 16 - Working with Contract Agencies

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Cheryl Landes. The facilitator for this week will be Sandra Cipriani. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Cheryl will talk about "Working with Contract Agencies."

Working with Contract Agencies

Today more jobs are becoming project-based or on contracts through placement agencies that can range from one month to a year or more. Cheryl Landes, a full-time contract technical writer, will provide tips on how to work with agencies that place us on temporary assignments. She will also describe the current climate at the agencies and how job seekers can navigate this intricate maze so their resumes will be noticed and presented to the hiring clients.

These topics will be covered during this presentation:
* The state of contracting
* Advantages and disadvantages of contracting
* Types of agency contracts
* Methods for contacting agencies
* Submitting resumes
* Working with recruiters
* Interviews
* Accepting assignments
* Working conditions

About Cheryl Landes

Cheryl Landes, an award-winning technical writer, Society for Technical Communication (STC) Fellow, and Certified Professional Communicator through the Association for Women in Communications Matrix Foundation, is the founder and owner of Tabby Cat Communications in Seattle. She has more than 22 years of experience as a technical writer and indexer in several industries: computer software, HVAC/energy savings, marine transportation, manufacturing, retail, and the trade press. An active member of STC and the American Society for Indexing (ASI) on the chapter and national levels, Cheryl speaks frequently at STC and ASI meetings throughout the United States and Canada. She is also the author of two handbooks on digital indexing in MadCap Flare and Adobe FrameMaker, and more than 100 articles and three books on Northwest travel and history.

Recap of HNG Meeting of November 2, 2012:

Our 87th meeting of HNG had 33 people, this is 17 more than the previous meeting and 3 signed the New Member list. William Lam was our facilitator. There were three introduction speeches.

We had two landings:
Judy Decasse Contract position at Metro West Healthcare Hospice as a receptionist
Charles Recchia Principal Electrical Engineer at Raytheon

We had a speaker, Jen Vondenbrink, who talked about "LinkedIn for Your Job Search: Building Quality Business Relationships Online." Jen discussed how to collect numbers of connections and helped you understand how to use LinkedIn as a tool through your job search and beyond to build long lasting relationships.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:
December 7, 2012 TBD
December 21, 2012 Anne Crawford "Elevator Speech"

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:

Sandra Cipriani sandraopps@comcast.net
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Barbara McKee barb6635@comcast.net
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com
Salpi Sarafian ssarafian@rcn.com

Battered Career Syndrome – two great resources

LinkedIn Suzanne Gray has sent you a message. Date: 11/09/2012 Subject: Battered Career Syndrome – two great resources Hi - I hope all is well on your end and that fall has been treating you well. I am running into quite a few folks who have had their career de-railed, postponed or taken out of their control. Yet, we are brought up believing that having a job is something that we do as a responsible adult. So, when one job isn't working out, we jump to another…only to get the same results. People typically take one of two paths to approaching this career dilemma: Focus in on a job that fits A good resource for this is the Advanced Career Transition on-line program. This is a series of 12 workshops designed to help people be more creative in their job search. Check out the list of topics here: www.advancedcareertransition.com Explore business ownership We are hosting a virtual expo Nov 15-17, which is a free on-line event for people considering business ownership. Click here: www.startabusinessweekend.com/?sgray for more details. Feel free to share these resources or give me a call. Take care, Suzanne (603)-585 3110 Don't want to receive e-mail notifications?

LinkedIn for Your Job Search: Building Quality Business Relationships Online

Hello Everyone,
The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Jen Vondenbrink. The facilitator for this week will be William Lam. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Jen will talk about "LinkedIn for Your Job Search: Building Quality Business Relationships Online."

LinkedIn for Your Job Search: Building Quality Business Relationships Online

Jen goes beyond teaching you how to collect numbers of connections and helps you understand how to use LinkedIn as a tool through your job search and beyond to build long lasting relationships.

About Jen Vondenbrink

Jen Vondenbrink is a professional speaker, consultant and educator bridging the gap between business and new media for business owners and job seekers. Her Fortune 500 process integrates entrepreneurial and corporate experience with today's every changing business environment.

Recap of HNG Meeting of October 19, 2012:

Our 86th meeting of HNG had 16 people, this is 17 less than the previous meeting and 2 signed the New Member list. Barb McKee was our facilitator. There were three introduction speeches.

We had an Introduction Workshop whereby those attending filled out New Member and How to Write a 30 Second Elevator Speech forms then volunteered to give their talks. This was very good; however, the intent was for everyone to give his and her introduction speech, and not everyone did so.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

November 16, 2012 Cheryl Landes "Working with Contract Agencies"
December 7, 2012 TBD
December 21, 2012 Anne Crawford "Elevator Speech"

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Networking Group Meeting: Group Introductions

Hello Everyone,
The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be each person will give his / her introduction speech. The facilitator for this week will be Barbara McKee. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, we will have individual speeches by everyone.

Individual Introductions

Each person will give his / her introduction speech following the format of New Member introductions. We have not done this in many months, and it is time for the new members who have arrived during these past few months to know who the rest of us are.

Recap of HNG Meeting of October 5, 2012:

Our 85th meeting of HNG had 33 people, this is eight less than the previous meeting, and 6 signed the New Member list. Gil Krispien was our facilitator. There were five introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Joellyn Schwerdlin, who talked about "Law of Attraction: Five Basic Principles to Make Your Career Dreams Come True." This entailed:

1) Five Basic Principles of Law of Attraction
* Understand sympathetic vibrations: like attracts like
* Raise your vibrations: the importance of feeling good
* Change your mood: you have the power
* Follow four steps to deliberate creation
* Allow the Law of Attraction to work: The absence of doubt
2) How to apply Law of Attraction principles to attract your ideal job and career

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

November 2, 2012 Jen Vondenbrink "LinkedIn"
November 16, 2012 Cheryl Landes "Working with Contract Agencies"
December 7, 2012 TBD
December 21, 2012 TBD

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Sandra Cipriani sandraopps@comcast.net
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
William Lam wmlam508@yahoo.com
Barbara McKee barb6635@comcast.net
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com
Salpi Sarafian ssarafian@rcn.com

Daren Canfield (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Patricia Centola (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Marjorie Cernigliaro (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Andrea Haber (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Christine Hurley (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Marilyn Johnson (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Madeliene Moore (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Laura Nelson (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Del Richmond (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Ralph Sabatino (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Diane Shelley (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Steve Sherlock (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Nancy Spadorcia (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Jack Speranza (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Mark Sullivan (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Mario Tardif (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Qing Ye (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Denise Zazzera (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)

HNG 10/5/12 Agenda; Speaker on "Law of Attraction: Five Basic Principles for Positive, Creative, and Successful Aging"

Hello Everyone,
The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Joellyn Schwerdlin. This is Joellyn's sixth presentation at HNG, and they have always been well received.  The facilitator for this week will be Gil Krispien. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Joellyn will talk about "Law of Attraction: Five Basic Principles to Make Your Career Dreams Come True."


Law of Attraction: Five Basic Principles to Make Your Career Dreams Come True

1) Five Basic Principles of Law of Attraction

* Understand sympathetic vibrations: like attracts like
* Raise your vibrations: the importance of feeling good
* Change your mood: you have the power
* Follow four steps to deliberate creation
* Allow the Law of Attraction to work: The absence of doubt

2) How to apply Law of Attraction principles to attract your ideal job and career

She will also be raffling off a book -- Law of Attraction: The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't written by Michael J. Losier.

About Joellyn Schwerdlin

Joellyn Wittenstein Schwerdlin is a Certified Career Management Coach in private practice (based in Worcester, Massachusetts) serving executives, managers and professionals in career transition. Since 1991, Joellyn has helped countless clients across multiple industry sectors find perfect career paths which are fun, fulfilling and financially-rewarding. Visit her website to learn more www.career-success-coach.com


Recap of HNG Meeting of September 21, 2012:

Our 84th meeting of HNG had 41 people, this is five more than the previous meeting, and 13 signed the New Member list. Salpi Sarafian was our facilitator. There were ten introduction speeches.

We had a speaker, Dorian Mintzer, who talked about "Here Come the Boomers: New Possibilities for Positive, Creative, and Successful Aging." In her interactive presentation, she talked about the following topics:
* Some of the "myths" of aging
* Normal "shifts" in identity and roles that occur as we get older
* Some 21st century strategies for thinking about work
* Is "positive aging" an oxymoron?
* Some important conversations for transitioning to the "second half of life"
* The importance of connection, engagement, and purpose and meaning of life.
* The importance of thinking about our "legacy."


Schedule for HNG Meetings:
October 19, 2012       TBD
November 2, 2012     Jen Vondenbrink "LinkedIn"
November 16, 2012   Cheryl Landes "Working with Contract Agencies"
December 7, 2012     TBD
December 21, 2012  TBD


General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.


We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup


For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address


If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.


Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.


Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748


Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:

Franklin Food Pantry is looking for a Director of Development

Do you know someone that has a talent for building relationships with local business and community groups for a non-profit?

Do you know someone looking for part-time work in a non-profit environment doing good by helping the Franklin community?

If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then please send them this info so they can follow through with the Franklin Food Pantry!






How to Apply
To apply for this position, send a cover letter and resume highlighting your qualifications to FFP.Hiring@franklinfoodpantry.org


This was originally posted to the Franklin Food Pantry webpage here
http://www.franklinfoodpantry.org/2012/09/food-pantry-is-looking-for-director-of.html

Franchise expo: Chicago this week, virtual next week

LinkedIn Suzanne Gray has sent you a message. Date: 9/06/2012 Subject: Chicago this week Hi, I hope you had a great summer (can't believe it went so fast!). I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be in Chicago at the end of this week for a franchise expo we are hosting. It's a free expo where there'll be about 60 franchisors and a host of other resources. If you know someone who may be interested, they can register here (insert personalized hyperlink under "here" www.startabusinesschicago.com/?sgray) or give me a call. Also, for those that can't make it to Chicago, we have a virtual expo the following weekend - September 13-15, www.startabusinessweekend.com/?sgray Thanks for passing this on. Suzanne (603) 585-3110

Hopkinton Networking Group: meeting details for this Friday

Hello Everyone,

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Irene Buchine. The facilitator for this week will be Vincent Rocheleau. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Irene will talk about "How a Personal Brand Benefits You."

How a Personal Brand Benefits You

As independent contractors and small business owners we are constantly marketing, networking and selling. Whether connecting through business organizations or participating in online discussion groups, our aim is to build relationships and generate revenue.

More recently, along with the social media phenomena, Personal Branding has become a trend and subject of great interest.

About Irene Buchine

A positioning expert and successful small business owner in her own right, Irene Buchine has contributed to the growth and health of dozens of consultants and small businesses for over 25 years. With her many insights and indomitable spirit, Irene helps you integrate what makes you tick with what makes you successful.

Irene approaches her work in a refreshing and organic way. An astute listener, Irene is prepared to learn from each client's story and then take the lead to uncover untapped potential and to point the way toward new opportunities for business growth.

For more information: www.irenebuchine.com

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

September 21, 2012     Dorian Mintzer          "Here Come the Boomers: New Possibilities for Positive, Creative and Successful Aging"

October 5, 2012            Joellyn Schwerdlin    "Law of Attraction: Five Basic Principles to Make Your Career Dreams Come True"

October 19, 2012          TBD

November 2, 2012        Jen Vondenbrink        "LinkedIn"

November 16, 2012      Cheryl Landes            "Working with Contract Agencies"

December 7, 2012        TBD

December 21, 2012      TBD

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

With warm regards,

Hari Narayanan

Business Service Representative

Workforce Central Career Center

425 Fortune Blvd. - Suite 201

Milford MA 01757

Tel: 508. 478. 4300 x 122

Fax: 508. 473. 0534

www. workforcecentralma.org

email: hnarayanan@detma.org

P Please consider the environment before printing this email P

This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure, or distribution is strictly prohibited and may be the subject of legal action. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original message. Thank you.

HNG 8/3/12 Agenda; Speaker on "A Practical Guide to Landing a Job in Today's Employment Market"

The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Patricia Hunt Sinacole. The facilitator for this week will be William Lam.  We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Pattie will talk about "A Practical Guide to Landing a Job in Today's Employment Market."

A Practical Guide to Landing a Job in Today's Employment Market

- The use/misuse of social media in a search

- Networking tips

- A job hunter's elevator speech

- Resume and references

- Job search statistics

About Patricia Hunt Sinacole
Patricia Hunt Sinacole is the CEO and Founder of First Beacon Group LLC, a Human Resources (HR) consulting firm that provides HR services to a wide variety of companies. Pattie holds a BA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and an MBA from Babson. Pattie has 20 years of experience in Human Resources working a wide range of clients. Pattie has served as a Guest Lecturer at Babson College. Pattie has been featured in the Boston Business Journal, the Mass High Tech, The Boston Globe. Additionally, Pattie is a regular contributor to the Job Doc and Career Makeover columns in the Boston Globe. Pattie also facilitates live career-related chats on boston.com.

Recap of HNG Meeting of July 20, 2012:

Our 80th meeting of HNG had 37 people, this is nine more than the previous meeting, and twelve signed the New Member list. Barbara McKee was our facilitator. There were no introduction speeches to allow more time for the panel discussion.

We had a panel discussion consisting of Heather Cole, David Ross, Eric Bloom, Bob Norton, and moderated by Hara Narayanan.  The topic was, "Job Search Strategies from an Employer's Point of View."  

The Categories for discussion were: 

         (1) Goals (Know your bulls-eye or standard – i.e. pay, benefits, commute, etc.)

         (2) Know Your Skills (paid or not paid)

         (3) Targeted Resume

         (4) Networking (Referral, Internet, Casual)

         (5) Interviewing & Presentation

         (6) Closing the Deal (Ask for Information, Follow-up and Thanks You Notes)

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

August 17, 2012           Jeffrey DeSocio              "Employment Searching in a Social Media World"

September 7, 2012      TBD

September 21, 2012    Dorian Mintzer                "Here Come the Boomers: New Possibilities for Positive, Creative and Successful Aging"

October 5, 2012            Joellyn Schwerdlin         "Law of Attraction: Five Basic Principles to Make Your Career Dreams Come True"

October 19, 2012         TBD

November 2, 2012       Jen Vondenbrink             "LinkedIn"

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Sandra Cipriani        sandraopps@comcast.net   

Gil Krispien               g.krispien@verizon.net  

William Lam             wmlam508@yahoo.com
Barbara McKee        barb6635@comcast.net
Vincent Rocheleau   vrocheleau@hotmail.com 
Salpi Sarafian           ssarafian@rcn.com

Daren Canfield            (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Patricia Centola          (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Marjorie Cernigliaro    (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Andrea Haber              (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Christine Hurley           (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Marilyn Johnson          (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Madeliene Moore        (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Laura Nelson               (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Del Richmond              (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)

Ralph Sabatino            (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Diane Shelley              (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Steve Sherlock            (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Nancy Spadorcia        (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Jack Speranza            (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)

Mark Sullivan               (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Mario Tardif                 (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; he is employed now)
Qing Ye                        (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)
Denise Zazzera           (HNG Coordinator Emeritus; she is employed now)

__._,_.___

Event for those considering business ownership

Suzanne Gray has conducted successful session at prior Job Search Jam Session events and is continuing to help those looking to get into business for themselves.

LinkedIn Suzanne Gray has sent you a message. Date: 7/22/2012 Subject: Upcoming (FREE) Event! Hi, I hope you are well. I wanted to let you know about our "Start a Business Weekend" July 26-28, which is a free virtual expo for people that are considering business ownership. Like a regular expo there will be booths in addition to informational seminars that people attend. If you know someone who may be interested, they can register here (www.startabusinessweekend.com/?sgray) or give me a call. Thanks for letting them know, keep in touch. - Suzanne View/reply to this message Don't want to receive e-mail notifications? Adjust your message settings. This email was intended for Steve Sherlock. Learn why we included this. © 2012, LinkedIn Corporation. 2029 Stierlin Ct. Mountain View, CA 94043, USA

Job Search Strategy Session - July 20

The Hopkinton Networking Group and Workforce Central Career Center in Milford are putting together a "Job Search Strategy Session" from the employers point of view.


Friday, July 20 beginning at 10:00 AM - come early to network


Where: 20 Church St, Hopkinton, MA 01748

Hopkinton Networking Group: "Job Search Strategy Session"

The Hopkinton Networking Group and Workforce Central Career Center in Milford are putting together a "Job Search Strategy Session" from the employers point of view.


Friday, July 20 beginning at 10:00 AM - come early to network


Where: 20 Church St, Hopkinton, MA 01748

Still an uphill battle for job seekers

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

Still an uphill battle for job seekers

via Economic Policy Institute - Feed by Heidi Shierholz on 6/19/12

The April Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS), released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, underscores the sluggishness of the recovery, showing that job openings declined by 325,000 in April. Given April's drop in unemployment of 173,000 (unemployment data are from the Current Population Survey and can be found here), this means that the "job-seekers ratio"—the ratio of unemployed workers to job openings—increased by three tenths, to 3.7-to-1.

MORE: Sort through updated graphs using data from today's report
Despite this increase, the ratio has been slowly but steadily improving since its peak of 6.7-to-1 in summer 2009, and it is likely that April's increase represents month-to-month variability in the data rather than a reversal of that overall trend. However, the odds are still stacked strongly against job seekers; a job-seekers ratio above 3-to-1 means that for more than two out of three unemployed workers, there simply are no jobs.



The JOLTS data are particularly useful for diagnosing the cause of today's persistent high unemployment. The figure below shows the number of unemployed and the number of job openings by sector. Unemployed workers far outnumber job openings in every sector. This underscores that by far the main cause of today's persistent high unemployment is a broad-based lack of demand for workers—and not, as is often claimed, available workers lacking the skills needed for the sectors with job openings.



Unsurprisingly, given the drop in job openings, hires also declined in April, by 160,000. Looking at the data over time, however, hires nevertheless are on a slow upward climb, up 13.5 percent since the official start of the recovery in June 2009. But hiring still has a long way to go before it returns to healthy levels. For example, hiring is still 19.6 percent below its 2007 average.
Voluntary quits decreased by 89,000 in April (lower levels of voluntary quits are not good news, since they signal that workers are less confident about outside job opportunities). However, voluntary quits are also on a general upward climb, having increased 18.3 percent since June 2009. But they too have a long way to go; voluntary quits are still 28.2 percent below their 2007 average.

Layoffs also increased slightly in April, by 68,000. Despite April's increase, the number of layoffs remains at a "normal" level; in fact, it is still below the 2007 average. While the consequences of being laid off are much more severe now due to limited job availability, the likelihood of being laid off is no greater now than before the Great Recession started.
With research assistance from Nicholas Finio and Hilary Wething

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Hopkinton Networking Group: "Elevator Speech: How to Get to the Next Level"

Hello Everyone,
The agenda for this Friday's Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) meeting will be featured by our speaker, Anne Crawford. The facilitator for this week will be Vincent Rocheleau. We will devote the first hour, from 10 to 11 AM to the following agenda: Welcome, Landings, Announcements, New Member Intros, and Needs & Leads. Please arrive early, so we can make every effort to start on time. In the second hour, Anne will talk about "Elevator Speech: How to Get to the Next Level."

Elevator Speech: How to Get to the Next Level

This workshop will cover the three essential steps to help you form a precise "Elevator Speech". Anne will discuss your own personal strengths and help you compile a 30 second introduction that does not sound like a machine talking, but actually reflects who you are and hooks them in the process. Be prepared to bring paper, pen, and an open mind. Remember: The key to your success is in yourself. Anne is just trained to bring it out.

About Anne Crawford:

Anne Crawford is a certified life coach specializing in career transitions. She has run workshops for over 5 years, helping men and women recognize their strengths, find clarity in their visions and achieve manageable goals. She is an expert in understanding human behaviors, what drives our emotions, and what is holding her clients back from the life and careers they deserve. Anne has been published in magazines, newspapers, and loves group and individual one on one coaching. She has spoken at many events and assists Bill Lippincott with the Employment Support group of Norton, MA.

Recap of HNG Meeting of May 18, 2012:

Our 76th meeting of HNG had 14 people, this is seventeen less than the previous meeting, and five signed the New Member list. Barbara McKee was our facilitator. There were four introduction speeches.

We had an impromptu interview workshop because our speaker, Joellyn Schwerdlin, had to cancel because of a personal issue.

Schedule for HNG Meetings:

June 15, 2012 William Lam "Working a Job Fair"
July 6, 2012 Jen Vondenbrink "LinkedIn"
July 20, 2012 Panel Discussion with Heather Cole and Hari Narayanan
August 3, 2012 Patricia Hunt Sinacole "A Practical Guide to Landing a Job in Today's Employment Market"
August 17, 2012 TBD
September 7, 2012 TBD
September 21, 2012 Dorian Mintzer "Here Come the Boomers: New Possibilities for Positive, Creative and
Successful Aging"

General Information:

The networking group meets in Hopkinton, at St. John the Evangelist Church parish hall. The meeting occurs, from 10 to 12 noon, and will meet the first and third Friday of the month. The parish hall has a capacity for 250 people and there is plenty of parking spaces in the parking lot and on the street. Around the perimeter of the parish hall are rooms to allow us to have focused network groups or for any other purpose we need. We chose the first and third Friday to allow everyone to attend the Acton Networking Group or any other networking group, if they wanted, on the Friday we do not meet.

We will maintain our close affiliation with Acton Networkers by using the same list-server to share information between the groups. Any e-mails specific to the Hopkinton Networking Group (HNG) will be indicated in the subject line either by "Hopkinton Networking Group" or "HNG"; this way anyone attending these meetings will know the e-mail is intended for them.

We will follow the following agenda items:
* Welcome
* Landings (with doughnuts)
* Announcements
* New member introductions
* Needs and Leads
* Speaker(s), Workshop, or Focus Group
* Cleanup

For those new members who give their introductions, this is what we would like to know:
* Name
* Skills and Value Statement
* Where have you been?
* Where are you going?
* Your title
* Your target companies
* Geography of search
* Name and e-mail address

If anyone wants to join our team, please let one of us know; we could always use the extra help and input for ideas.

Directions:
Take Rt. 495 North/South and get off Exit 21A. Go through three traffic lights. Colella's Supermarket is on the right at the third traffic light. The first street after the third traffic light is Church Street, take a right turn. The church is on the right. Go around to the left of the parking lot and go into the side entrance of the parish hall.

Depending upon where you live, perhaps you may want to use Mapquest for a more direct route. The address of the church is:
St. John the Evangelist
20 Church Street
Hopkinton, MA 01748

Regards,
Hopkinton Networkers Group (HNG) Coordinators:
Sandra Cipriani sandraopps@comcast.net
Gil Krispien g.krispien@verizon.net
Barbara McKee barb6635@comcast.net
Vincent Rocheleau vrocheleau@hotmail.com
Ralph Sabatino ralphsabatino@ymail.com
Salpi Sarafian ssarafian@rcn.com

‘Missing workers’ mean the unemployment rate is understating weakness in the...

Sent to you by Steve Sherlock via Google Reader:

‘Missing workers’ mean the unemployment rate is understating weakness in the job market

via Economic Policy Institute - Feed by Heidi Shierholz on 5/30/12

The labor force participation rate (the share of working-age people who either have a job or are jobless but actively seeking work) has dropped by more than two percentage points since the start of the Great Recession in Dec. 2007. According to a recent EPI analysis, roughly two-thirds of this decline is due to weak job prospects in the recession and its aftermath (these changes are generally labeled cyclical), while the remaining one-third is a result of long-term trends such as baby boomers beginning to retire (changes generally labeled structural). The cyclical portion of the decline in the labor force participation rate represents nearly four million workers who would be in the labor market if job prospects were strong. The existence of this large pool of "missing workers"—workers who have either dropped out of or never entered the labor market because of the lack of job opportunities—means that the unemployment rate is understating weakness in the labor market.

Arguably the best single measure for assessing recent labor market trends is the employment-to-population ratio of 25-54-year-olds, which is simply the share of the 25-54 population that has a job. The restricted age range—25-54-year-olds, or people of "prime working age"—helps insure that trends are not being driven by retiring baby-boomers or increasing college enrollment of young people, but are instead caused purely by changes in job opportunities.

As the figure shows, the share of employed workers 25-54 plunged dramatically from the start of the Great Recession through the fourth quarter of 2009, and then, for nearly two years, essentially bumped around at the bottom of that extremely deep hole. Since the fall of last year, the ratio has just begun to show signs of improvement.



This means that the improvement in the unemployment rate, from 10.0 percent in Oct. 2009 to 8.1 percent in April 2012, has largely been due to people dropping out of, or not entering, the labor force—not to a larger share of potential workers finding work. This also means that while expansionary policies to generate demand are urgently needed and will help spur job growth, they may also generate upward pressure on the unemployment rate as these missing workers begin to enter or reenter the labor market. That kind of upward pressure on the unemployment rate would be a positive sign.

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