RSSVetJobs Veteran Eagle
Issue 9:05, Thursday, May 1, 2008
www.vetjobs.com
The Veteran Eagle is a newsletter for veterans, transitioning military, their family members and friends and supporters of VetJobs.
VetJobs is exclusively sponsored and partially owned by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (www.vfw.org) and endorsed by The Vietnam Veterans of America (www.vva.org), The Naval Reserve Association (www.navy-reserve.org), and The Veterans of Modern Warfare (www.modernveterans.com).
This month’s Veteran Eagle is sponsored by BNSF Railway and TECHEXPO Top Secret
Contents:
1. Message from the Top
2. DOD to phase out full SSNs on ID cards
3. VFW MeMber Honor Roll
4. VA Claim Delay Increases
5. Military Stolen Valor
6. Civilian Friends versus Veteran Friends
7. National Guard and Reserve mobilized as of April 30, 2008
8. Significant events this month in military history
HAVE YOU REFRESHED YOUR RESUME SO EMPLOYERS KNOW YOU ARE AVAILABLE? With a tight labor market, most employers will not look at a resume over 14 days old. You need to refresh your resume at least every two weeks! And be sure the search the 30,000 plus jobs in the VetJobs database!
Thank you for reading this VetJobs Veteran Eagle newsletter. If you like the newsletter and what VetJobs, the VFW and other veteran service organizations do to assist veterans and their family members find employment, please go to http://www.weddles.com/poll.htm and vote VetJobs for the WEDDLE’s User’s Choice Award!
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1. Message from the Top
I am proud to announce that VetJobs is now averaging over 30,000 jobs a day posted by employers who want to hire veterans and their family members. VetJobs does not spider or scrape jobs from other sites. These are current and real jobs with veteran friendly employers. So tell your friends who are in the job market to search the VetJobs jobs database. It is the most reliable source of real jobs for veterans!
As we go into this politically hot season, you do not have to go very far to find bad news. War, inflation, rising gasoline and food prices are throwing unwanted attention on Big Oil and Big Agriculture.
However, if you dig through the chatter of those in the press who want to make the economy look bad, you will find that things are not necessarily as bad as some would have you believe. For example, the U.S. Commerce Department reported the economy actually grew at an annual rate of 0.6% in the first three months of the year. Yes, it actually grew!
While some politicians are saying the United States is in a recession (one politician called it the worst recession since the Great Depression – obviously they did not study economics or history), keep in mind the definition of a recession says the economy has to have two quarters of down turn to qualify for a recession. Since the economy actually grew .6% for the first quarter, the United States is NOT in a recession. America is in an economically stressed period due to the theft, fraud and corruption connected with the sub-prime debacle. Historically, economic bounces are common events between recessions.
The Federal Reserve announced yesterday the widely anticipated cut in the prime interest rate by another 25 basis points (.25%). The recent interest rate cuts have come even faster than the Federal Reserve’s action during the 2001 recession. The stock market immediately responded with the Dow topping 13,000 for the first time since January, but then fell to nearly erase the rally as the market debates the Federal Reserve cuts. The Federal Reserve asserts the large reduction in interest rates so far, combined with other Federal Reserve moves to bolster the liquidity of banks and other lenders should insure healthy economic growth will return over time. It will be fun to watch the debate as to whether the interest rate cut was a good or bad thing.
Add to the above financial good news is an ADP report released yesterday (ADP National Employment Report) that stated nonfarm private employment increased 10,000 from March to April 2008 on a seasonally adjusted basis. According to the ADP report, employment in the service-providing sector of the economy grew 64,000, while employment in the goods-producing sector declined 54,000.
Large businesses, defined as those with 500 or more workers, saw employment decline
18,000, while medium-size companies with between 50 and 499 workers declined by
14,000. But importantly, employment among small-size businesses, defined as those with fewer than 50 workers, advanced 42,000 during the month!
The ADP report says the two sectors of the economy hit hardest by recent problems in mortgage markets have been residential construction and financial activities related to home sales and mortgage lending. ADP also reported that employment in the financial activities sector advanced 2,000 for the month.
These reports confirm a front page April 18 Wall Street Journal article titled Economic Split Seen In Corporate Earnings. The WSJ noted “As first-quarter corporate earnings reports begin to roll in, a stark picture is emerging of an economy on two tracks. Banks and companies that sell directly to consumers are grappling with the impact of falling home prices and tightening credit. But many big businesses, especially those that sell to other U.S. companies or to customers abroad, are proving resilient.”
The article went on to point out that overall first-quarter earnings are down 22.1%, but if you exclude financial companies, earnings are up 8.2%. If the actual reported earnings are combined with estimates for the remaining companies, earnings are coming in at a 12.9% decline, but when the financial companies are removed, earnings are up a healthy 9.5%! Business periodicals this past week have been replete with reports of increased earnings by companies.
So what does all this mean for you as a job seeker? The economy is really not as bad as it may appear in the press. While the unemployment rate rose from 4.8% to 5.1% in March, a good part of that rise was attributed to an auto workers strike at a parts plant that shut down many production plants. Keep in mind that at 5.1%, that is only one tenth of a percent above NORMAL unemployment. Today’s unemployment rate of 5.1% is no where near the unemployment rate of 12.5% during the 1982 recession or the near 8.0% during the last recession.
Remember, we are in an election year, so press reports will tend to be inflammatory in both directions. In reality, it is still a seller’s (candidate) market, especially in the Southwest, South, Southeast and the Midatlantic states.
So what jobs are hot and what jobs are not? Home construction, some manufacturing, mortgage and financial services are not the best place to look for a job right now. But defense, non-home construction, petroleum, education, government, healthcare, food services, engineering, sales, transportation, logistics, management and mining all offer great employment opportunities! And as noted in the ADP report, the best job market is with companies that have 100 or less employees.
As a job seeker you will want to keep a positive outlook. The main thing to keep in mind is that the American economy is taking an economic bounce. These are common occurrences between recessions. So look for jobs where your skills will be in the most demand. And keep in mind the dual track our economy is now running.
May is National Military Appreciation Month! Additionally, there are many special days of recognition to observe, including:
Loyalty Day – May 1
National Day of Prayer – May 1
Victory in Europe Day – May 8
Military Spouse Day – May 9
Mother’s Day – May 11
Armed Forces Day – May 17
National Maritime Day – May 22
Memorial Day – May 26
In 1933, Congress decreed May 22 as National Maritime Day and each year since then it has been a day for the United States to observe its proud maritime heritage, honor the men and women who serve and have served as merchant mariners, and recognize the many benefits that result from our American maritime industry.
Victory in Europe Day marks the date when the World War II Allies formally celebrated the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. Of interest, the Allies had agreed to mark May 9, 1945 as Victory in Europe Day, but Western journalists broke the news of Germany’s surrender prematurely, precipitating the earlier celebration. If you know a World War II veteran, tell them thank you for freeing our world from the Nazi tyranny and for preserving the freedoms we enjoy today!
Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation’s service. There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women’s groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War. While Waterloo, NY, was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it’s difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860’s tapped into the general human need to honor our dead.
If you know of any companies that should be hiring veterans, transitioning military and their family members, please send in the referral so we may contact the company.
As always, if there is anything we at VetJobs can do for you, please do not hesitate to call or email.
Remember, Freedom Is Never Free – Support Our Armed Forces and Veterans
Best regards,
Ted Daywalt
President
/—May Veteran Eagle sponsor is BNSF Railway—-\
BNSF Railway Company is actively seeking applicants with military experience. At BNSF, we salute those with service, value their skills and welcome the unique experiences of our service members. From skilled craftsmen to first-line supervisors, we filled over 3,000 positions this year and expect to surpass that amount in 2006. BNSF offers challenging and rewarding career opportunities for those in transition from military to civilian life as well as veterans, retirees and members of National Guard and Reserve components.
For more than 150 years, BNSF Railway has been quietly delivering cars, coal, clothing, games and nearly anything else found in homes and businesses. Today, our focus is on using speed, agility and resourcefulness to help expand the global marketplace for goods and services. Through world-class people, processes and technology, BNSF Railway provides an easy, relevant choice for all types of shippers in a wide variety of locations. If you are seeking a challenging and rewarding career that appreciates your military experience, then visit http://www.bnsf.com/careers/military/index.html.
\—–Please visit your May Veteran Eagle sponsor BNSF Railway—-/
2. DOD to phase out full SSNs on ID cards
As a means of combating identity theft, the Defense Department will issue identification cards without full Social Security numbers printed onto them. TriCare, the military services’ health maintenance organization, already has removed Social Security numbers from its members’ identification cards. Plans are to remove the Social Security numbers from identification cards issued to military family members by the end of this year. Between 2009 and 2010, all department-issued identification cards will feature only the last four digits of a holder’s Social Security number.
/—May Veteran Eagle sponsor is TECHEXPO Top Secret—-\
TECHEXPO Top Secret’s next job fairs are May 1st in Tysons Corner, VA; May 2nd in Baltimore, MD; and May 20th in Atlanta, GA. Interview with leading government contractors. Full schedule, event details, & pre-registration on http://www.TechExpoUSA.com For professionals with active security clearance only. Free admission.
\—–Please visit your May Veteran Eagle sponsor TECHEXPO Top Secret —-/
3. VFW MeMber Honor Roll
Everyone has a story to tell. So the VFW and Making everlasting Memories® (MeM®) have teamed up to provide members a tool to celebrate their service to our country. Take advantage of the complimentary listing in the VFW MeMber Honor Roll which is displayed through the VFW website. Your Honor Roll webpage will list your birthdate, branch of service and your VFW Post and tells your family and friends where you served and the medals awarded to you. If you send us a photo we will include it on your webpage and then we will return the photo to you. Your branch of service logo will be used if you don’t have a photo you want to include. To register your Honor Roll online or to print an Honor Roll Registration Form, please go to www.vfwbenefits.com, under “VFW MeMber Honor Roll” choose “Click for More Information” or call VFW National Headquarters at 1-800-821-2606 and select Option 3.
4. VA Claim Delay Increases
Due to an influx of new claims and the antiquated rules by which the Department of Veterans Affairs must process claims the average processing time has risen from 174 in 2006 to 188 days in 2007. As of April, 2008, the number of claims outstanding was 650,000. The Department of Veterans Affairs projects that the number of claims will surpass one million by the end of fiscal year 2008. In an effort to reduce the backlog Congressman John Hall (D-NY-19) on April 23 introduced HR 5892, the ‘‘Veterans Disability Benefits Claims Modernization Act of 2008’’. This bill is to amend Title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modernize the disability benefits claims processing system of the VA to ensure the accurate and timely delivery of compensation to veterans and their families and survivors, and for other purposes.
5. Military Stolen Valor
To report suspected fraud involving veterans benefits, other crimes such as Stolen Valor, fraud, waste or mismanagement in the VA, contact the Office of Inspector General Hotline at (800) 488-8244 or email at vaoig.hotline@forum.va.gov or write to VA OIG HOTLINE, PO Box 50410, Washington, DC 20091-0410.
6. Civilian Friends versus Veteran Friends
This is an interesting comparison that is making the internet rounds.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you’re too busy to talk to them for a week.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it’s yours.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that’s what the crowd is doing.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will kick the crowds’ ass that left you behind.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are for life.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no citizen could ever dream of.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you’ve had enough.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will carry you home safely and put you to bed.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will talk crap to the person who talks crap about you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will knock the hell out of them for talking crap about you.
7. National Guard and Reserve mobilized as of April 30, 2008
The total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 78,982; Navy Reserve, 5,014; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 8,088; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,581; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 347. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been mobilized to 101,012, including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently mobilized can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2008/d20080430ngr.pdf
8. Significant events this month in Military History
1756 – French & Indian War began, lasting for seven years.
1846 – The U.S. declared war against Mexico. Mexican troops under General Mariano Arista were defeated at Palo Alto, Texas, by U.S. Army under General Zachary Taylor. (Mexican American War)
1863 – Confederate General Robert E. Lee defeated Union troops under Union General Joseph Hooker at the Battle of Chancellorsville, VA, with the considerable aid of Confederate General Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson, who decisively routed the Union right wing. (Civil War)
1940 – German troops invaded Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. (WW II)
1942 – Congress created the Womens’ Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC).
1942 – Fall of Corregidor (WW II)
1942 – Battle of the Coral Sea, the first major naval action fought without either side having visual contact with enemy forces. (WW II)
1945 – German forces surrendered Berlin to the Russians. (WW II)
1945 – The German military in Europe surrendered unconditionally to GEN Eisenhower and other allied commanders in a French school building at Rheims, France, ending World War II in Europe. V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day) was formally proclaimed on 8 May. (WW II)
1968 – Mini-Tet (Vietnam War)
1972 – Operation Linebacker (Vietnam War)
1975 – Capture and Release of SS Mayaguez by Khmer Rouge forces, the first battle action of the United States Navy boarding a ship at sea since 1826.
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