More Georgia state employees seeking retirement

By Walter Jones

ATLANTA – There’s been more than a 10 percent increase in the number of state workers retiring this year, and about a 20 percent jump in those seeking information about retirement, according to figures from the State Retirement System of Georgia.

“I don’t think state government is a pleasant place to work anymore,” said Claude Vickers, president of the Georgia State Retirees Association. “There is so much uncertainty.”

The possibility of budget cuts, furloughs and layoffs create a feeling of unease, said Vickers, who retired as executive director of Georgia Public Broadcasting. Before that he served eight years as the state auditor which put him on the boards of directors of the State of Georgia Employees’ Retirement System and the Teachers Retirement System.

“As the employee gains experience, he or she becomes more valuable,” he said.

State workers can get a retirement check after 10 years on the job. If they are younger than 60 or have fewer than 30 years on the payroll, their pension is reduced by 7 percent for each year early they retire.

Employees hired before 1982 can get 2.2 percent of their highest salary times the number of years they worked. Those hired between 1982 and 2008 get 2 percent, and recent hires get 1 percent plus the state’s match of up to 5 percent of contributions to a 401(k) type plan.

The complex formula could be what’s prompted a growing number to seek a calculation from the state to see if they qualify for an amount ample to live on.

“We’re a little bit busier than we usually are,” said Jim Potvin, deputy director of the Retirement System. “But that hasn’t translated into actual retirements.”

The 10.2 percent increase in actual retirements for general state workers is tiny compared to a 263 percent increase in the number of retirements this year in the Judicial Retirement System.

Teachers, though, have been staying in place. Retirements so far this fiscal year are down 1.5 percent.

That’s not for a lack of frustration, according to Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. The association is bracing for a flood of its members retiring soon.

“I think it’s as much about the morale as anything because they are having to do more with less,” he said.

Georgia isn’t alone.

States across the country are experiencing the same rise in retirements, according to Sujit CanagaRetna, a policy analyst for the Southern Legislative Conference.

“These have been rough times for state employees, just as it has been for the whole economy,” he said

The exodus can leave the remaining workers picking up tasks of those who retired. It also means the loss of veterans who have what experts call institutional knowledge.

CanagaRetna predicts continuing cuts to state budgets will add to the stream of departures.

“That is definitely something that has propelled people who are 55 and moving on,” he said. “I think you’ll see more of that.”

source: Florida Times-Union

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10 things you can do to get a promotion

By Kris Littlejohn

Very few people hire on with any company or organization with the intention of remaining indefinitely at the position for which they were hired. Just because you started as the grunt who had to fix the copy machines doesn’t mean you don’t someday want to be CIO. At most companies, this could entail half a lifetime of climbing the corporate ladder. Each step up that ladder is generally going to involve asking for and receiving a promotion. The thought of asking for advancement is usually pretty frightening, but these tips will help you be more prepared.


#1: Show them the numbers

When you make your pitch about what a great job you’ve been doing and your value to the company, it will help your case if you can show your employer or supervisor specific results. Prepare documentation showing how and how much your brilliant ideas have helped them. This can be especially useful in the common scenario in which the person you’re dealing with doesn’t have the power to grant you a promotion. If that person has to fight on your behalf with his or her boss, you had better provide the best ammunition you can.

#2: Ask for more responsibilities

When asking for a promotion, it’s best to avoid that “P” word. If instead, you tell your boss you’re ready to take on more responsibilities, it will show that you’re prepared to tackle a larger or more complicated workload and aren’t just looking for a bigger office and fatter paycheck. It also gives your boss the option of gradually giving you the more important duties rather than just dumping you in a new position. Just make sure that if, after a few months, your tasks no longer resemble your job description, you bring that up and (with luck) get the new job title and paycheck.

#3: Invent a new position

If you feel that your skills are best suited to a position that doesn’t exist at your current organization, and you think you can make a strong argument for a need for that position, by all means, do so. Even if they won’t (or can’t) make the new position happen, you will have earned points for creativity while at the same time making it clear you are looking to advance.

#4: Bring up the topic in an informal setting

If you have the opportunity to meet with your boss outside the workplace, this can be a good way to make use of the occasion. Whether it’s at the bar for a drink after work, a big conference, or the company picnic, people will naturally be in a more receptive mood when they aren’t busy busy busy. But be careful in these settings. If you press too hard and your approach falls flat, you could be left in an awkward place for a couple hours with no easy means of escape. Phrase things lightly and back off if you don’t make any headway.

#5: Schedule a private meeting

Obviously, the alternative approach to having the promotion talk is to ask during regular work hours. Since during this time your boss is generally going to be busy, it’s a bad idea to just ask for a couple of minutes of his or her time. If you try to talk about a promotion like that, you could get shot down without your boss even looking up. Instead, schedule an appointment so that a block of time is set aside specifically for listening to you. Also, if possible, try to avoid revealing the specific topic of the meeting beforehand. Don’t go too far with this; you don’t want to annoy your boss by making the purpose of the meeting too mysterious. It’s just a bit harder to articulate a reason to say no to you when you’re in the room.

#6: Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn

Just make sure to play the right notes. It’s okay to brag a little — as long as it doesn’t sound like bragging. There is nothing wrong with reminding your boss of your accomplishments, since even if they were great, he or she might have forgotten about them. Mentioning that you’ve done this, this, and this, and that there are 15% fewer incidents in your department since you have started the job is great. Saying you’re the best system admin in the company is much less persuasive. Also, don’t forget that this is about you, so concentrate on all of your positive aspects and not on anybody else’s negative ones.

#7: Don’t make threats or demands

Be careful not to make your request for promotion sound like a demand. Don’t threaten to leave if you don’t get what you want (especially if you don’t intend to follow through on it). If you have been offered a new job somewhere else, you shouldn’t throw it in anyone’s face or try to use that offer to leverage a better deal where you are now. Doing so can potentially damage your reputation with both places. Remember to stay calm. Even if you really are fed up with your current position, try not to show it.

#8: Make friends in higher places

Before you actually ask about advancement, it’s a good idea to find somebody in the position you’re aiming for who is willing to take you under his or her wing. This offers four benefits:

#9: Learn new skills

It should go without saying that any time you have the opportunity to learn something new, you should take it. In particular, when you’re seeking a promotion, you’ll impress your boss if you can show that you’ve learned new skills that go beyond your current position. You might consider earning additional industry certifications or maybe go back to school for a higher degree. Taking on these things while working full time can be quite taxing, but with the ever-increasing availability of night classes and self-study materials, it’s definitely possible.

#10: Excel at your current position

Sometimes, actions speak louder than words. The best way to show that you deserve advancement is to simply shine where you are now. Go above and beyond the call of duty. Get to work early every day and stay a few minutes late. Try to come up with solutions to problems that haven’t been addressed yet. If your deadline is Friday, try to have everything done by Thursday.

Finally, remember to be a team player. Make sure that you aren’t irreplaceable. If you’re at the top among your peers, take the time to ensure that you aren’t the only one who can keep things running. This will show your superiors that you can be a proper leader, and it will help curtail the disastrous response to a request for promotion: “I’m sorry, but you’re doing such a great job, we just can’t afford to lose you where you are now.”

source: techrepublic

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Companies Hiring Right Now

By Ashley Jones

A small ray of hope shining through the gloom is the website Indeed.com. This company collects data from job listings globally on the internet. They claim that there are thousands of listings for the likes of government agencies, and big businesses such as Blockbuster and Lockheed Martin. While their data can’t possibly be exact, due to postings not getting deleted when a position is filled, it is a fair representation of some small recovery.

The Top Ten Companies

1) Blockbuster – Only a few of the listings they have are corporate, most are for the various retail locations. Mostly due to the company modifying their structure to compete with other companies.

2) Lowe’s – Like the number 1, most of these jobs are for their seasonal work. Spring is this companies “Christmas.”

3) McDonalds – Need I say more…

4) Petco – Bring your love of animals, most of these are also at retail outlets.

5) J.P. Morgan Chase – I personally found over 1,000 listings in various positions and locations.

6) Bank Of America – These guys have over 17,000 various listings.

7) Department Of Veterans Affairs – A government agency that is listing over 13,000 jobs right now.

8) Lockheed Martin – Mainly a government contractor, but listing 6,500+ jobs.

9) Fastenal – Distribution of industrial and construction supplies. They have 775 postings.

10) Wells Fargo – They have banking positions if you are qualified, they have almost 6,000 listings of openings.

About Indeed.com

Indeed.com is a 6 year old internet based company that gets their information from the giants on the internet and the little ones as well. They also scour the various company website listings for their information. They allow the user to define their search in as much or little detail as they wish. The user has the following categories to refine their job search: salary, title or position, location, company, job type, and recruiters. Their listings look much like a google search result, and just as fast. If you are looking for work I would highly recommend this website.

source: usmoneytalk.com

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