Table of Contents
Cover Story:
For RBD, It Was
a Very Good Year
Feature Stories:
Lessons Learned
Starting a small business can be a daunting proposition
Web Masters
RBD's online presence is a natural progression
RBD Round-Up:
How's Business?
The results are in from our
first survey
RBD Business Survey
What's your take on the rising cost of healthcare?
DEPARTMENTS:
Economic Round-Up
• The Smart Investor
How to minimize the affect of the Alternative Minimum Tax
• Economic Viewpoint
Interpreting the Inverted
Yield Curve
• Visitor's Guide
Tour busses in Rockland?
Retail Round-Up
• Where the Jobs Are
Tips for students looking
for work
Business Round-Up
• PSI Health Plans
Offer flexibility and
cost savings
• Marketing By Design
The top 15 campaigns of the last 100 years - Part 2
Ask The Expert
• The Human Factor in
Human Resources
Invest in Your Community
• Looking For a Better Way
Tomorrow's Workplace
offers help
• Leadership Rockland
Graduates class of 2007
• Youth Forum & Awards
Rockland Youth Volunteers Honored
Odds & Ends
• Letters to the Editor
• Rockland Newsmakers
Dedicated Section:
Rockland Business Association:
The President’s Desk
Heart-felt Congratulations
to Rockland's only B2B resource
RBA/United Way Golf Outing
A beautiful day for all
RBA Happenings
• Committee and Council Info
• Calendar of Events
• New Members
Retail Round-Up:
Where the Jobs Are
Advice on finding summer employment
Compiled by the RBD Staff
A summer job is certainly a way to help pay off those student loans, but the benefits go way beyond money. You’ll get invaluable experience, which could put you ahead of the pack. Here are some summer jobs that could give your resume — and your future — a boost in the right direction. And the fact that the results of our first Rockland Business Survey found than 25% of respondents said they would bring on part-time staff. (See Survey Results on page 9)
Retail Sales
Companies look to hire college students to fill seasonal sales jobs and telemarketing positions. If you’re looking to enter a full-time sales career after graduation, honing your skills over the summer could be just the ticket. Places like the Palisades and Nanuet Malls, the Spring Valley Marketplace and big stores like WalMart and Target are great places to start. With hundreds of stores, malls are usually looking to fill seasonal position. But don’t count out your local retailers, either. Hardware stores, bakeries, and especially restaurant may be looking to hire as well.
In addition, some businesses, such as the national knife sales company Cutco Cutlery, hire college students each summer to sell their products door-to-door. The experience teaches students “how to network, make presentations, manage time, handle rejection and manage a business,” says Cutco spokesman David Reeves. “Most of all, they learn that success in business requires more than just showing up,” Reeves said.
And since more than 85% of the jobs in Rockland are service oriented, it’s important to be up to speed on your skills. Places like Tomorrow’s Workplace (www.tomorrowsworkplace.org) offer sales and service training.
Customer service
Working as a customer service representative can help you polish your communication and problem-solving skills, and the job usually lends itself easily to part-time work and flexible schedules, so you’ll still have time to enjoy those sunny afternoons.
Customer service representatives spend their days listening to customers’ concerns and problems with their company’s products or services, then work with them to resolve the issue. Showing experience in these skills on your resume will stand out to potential employers down the road.
Most importantly, the job will be a learning experience that will reap rewards both in your college classes and future career, says Penelope Trunk, author of “Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success” (Warner Business Books, $22.99).
Camps and Community Organizations
Camps are run by a variety of groups ranging from nonprofit community and religious organizations to government and educational institutions. When choosing a camp to work for, take an inventory of your academic programs and career objectives and assess which camp is the best fit. In Rockland, the AmeriCorps program offers a summer program where youth is involved in environmental projects. Members have built and maintained nature trails, taught environmental education at camps, educated the public about ecological and public environmental health issues, created gardens, patrolled streams, facilitated clean ups and implemented recycling programs.
Accounting
Many colleges offer students an opportunity to gain experience through summer programs conducted by public accounting or business firms. These programs offer students a chance to assist in the company’s operations, including a broad range of accounting, auditing, tax, and consulting activities.
“A lot of the summer jobs involving finances and accounting require mostly clerical work, but that shouldn’t discourage someone from working within a department related to what they want to do after graduation,” states Brendon Courtney, senior vice president of the staffing firm Spherion. RBD
Employment Is Up All Across the State
Private sector employment in the Hudson Valley increased over the year by 8,200 or 1.1 percent, to 740,600 in March 2007. Employment gains were largest in educational and health services (+3,000), professional and business services (+1,900), trade, transportation and utilities (+1,700), natural resources, mining and construction (+1,600), leisure and hospitality (+600), other services (+600) and financial activities (+400). Job losses were centered in information (-600) and manufacturing (-1,000).Industries With Job Gains:
Educational & Health Services +28,700
Professional & Business Services +21,300
Financial Activities +12,900
Trade, Transportation & Utilities +11,900
Construction +9,300
Leisure & Hospitality +9,100
Government +6,800
Other Services +3,500
Natural Resources & Mining +400
Industries With Job Losses:
Manufacturing -13,600
Information -1,900Source: NYS Department of Labor
