CAREERS NOW 04-09-08

Counting Jobs in the Money Business

DEAR JOYCE: When my brother gets back from Iraq, he hopes to get into the financial field. I've seen the news about the layoffs and shakeups in financial markets. How can I help my brother get a head start on typical employment opportunities in the money industries? - R.S.

Start scouting established job portals such as JobsintheMoney.com and BrokerHunter.com. A newcomer that hopes to attract a range of candidates, from newbies to experienced professionals, targets the private equity and hedge fund markets: privateequityjobs.com.

Regular reading of your newspaper's business pages will provide clues to unadvertised job opportunities. Look for developments such as new financial product announcements, relocating financial firms, mergers and acquisitions, and planned expansions, for instance. Scour national financial papers if your brother is willing to relocate.

You're a good sis. Happy coaching!

DEAR JOYCE: In my 30s, I am a high-earning marketing specialist. Or was. I've been diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) and I no longer have the energy to put in long days. What now? - C.B.

I've been sitting on your question for months because I didn't immediately have a good answer for you. Now I know about a starting point: MS Workplace (msworkplace.com) is a new Web site that offers career management promise to the more than 400,000 Americans living with multiple sclerosis.

Among its initial features: tips for talking with supervisors and colleagues about MS and how to re-enter the workforce. The site is a collaboration between the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Monster, Biogen Idec and Elan.

Additionally, how do you feel about starting your own consulting company, working at home on your own schedule whether you log eight hours a day or fewer? The Internet can make that possible for one as talented as you.

DEAR JOYCE: I've been out of work with illness for more than a year but I'm fine now. How do I explain this missing year on my resume? -- P.T.

The essential message to explain your health gap is "Home with nonrecurring illness; now completely recovered and charged up to get back to work." But delivering the message effectively is a challenge beyond the free advice you may find on a Web site.

It takes a book to show you various smooth ways to handle special issues - a book with plenty of examples readers can follow when returning to work after raising kids, overcoming an illness, dealing with divorce, or reversing retirement.

A book I recommend is the new second edition of "Expert Resumes for People Returning to Work" by Wendy S. Enelow and Louise M. Kursmark (JIST Publishing). It features more than 180 pages of sample resumes and cover letters by top professional resume writers, all of which are aimed at people who need to restart a career after a gap in employment history.

When you'd rather outsource the writing challenge to a professional, another helpful new book from JIST Publishing makes it easy to find a specialist to present your special needs, including returning to work. Louise Kursmark is the author of the "Directory of Professional Resume Writers: How to Find and Work with a Pro to Accelerate Your Job Search." You'll find lots of good ideas and effective sample resumes.

DEAR JOYCE: Having worked most of my adult life, including nine years in the human resources field, at 47 I would like to add a master's degree in human resources to my bachelor's degree in sociology. I would have to get it online - I don't want to be caught in a diploma mill. How much would a legitimate online master's program in human resources cost? - W.V.

As little as $8,960 (at Tarleton State University of Texas if you're a Texas resident) and as much as $40,800 for Golden Gate University's MBA with an HR concentration.

Visit GetEducated (geteducated.com) for a survey of the best and worst buys in distance learning for HR master's degrees.

While you're kicking around on the GetEducated site, click on Online Degree Mills to find "Top 10 Signs Online Diploma Mills & Degree Mills." The spot-on advice can keep you free and clear of bogus credentials.

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