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American Morning

Looking for Work?

Aired January 02, 2003 - 09:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We are starting the New Year with a focus on your finances. Many people finding it tough to find work. There are eight million-plus people looking for jobs in this country, but there are opportunities, if you know where to go.
And here to let us know where and how to go about doing this, Andy Serwer, "Fortune" magazine, Lauren Young, "Smart Money" magazine, tips on how to find the hot jobs. Unemployment at 6 percent, eight million people out there trying to find a job, and questions about whether the economy can begin to grow enough to generate new jobs.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR AT LARGE, "FORTUNE": Yes. I mean, there is kind of a murky picture out there at best. Six percent, the worst rate it has been in eight years. Historically, though, Jack, that is not so bad. Easy to say sitting here. I'm employed.

CAFFERTY: For now.

SERWER: ... for now, thank you. I knew that was coming. He's hot today. He's hot.

It's tough for people out there looking for jobs. There's some optimism, though. Thirty-five percent of people surveyed, a new Career Builder survey say they are more optimistic now. They plan to find a job in 2003. I know that is up from last year, so people actually think that there are prospects out there. We had a woman on earlier who thought that she was going to be able to get one too.

CAFFERTY: Lauren, are there jobs out there to be had? I mean, people think there are, but what's the real deal?

LAUREN YOUNG, "SMART MONEY": There are. There are jobs out there. They are in fields, obviously -- some of the obvious ones like healthcare. I mean, obviously, there's a lot of doctors who are not working today, but there is a critical need for nurses, as well.

So health care is one of those areas that's still growing.

Also, technology, even though we have had this tech wreck. It is still helping the world work, and there are lots of areas in technology where there are jobs. Security is the new one, because all of a sudden, everybody cares about security, and it is not just about being a security guard. There is all different aspects of the security industry.

And finally, if you're looking for a job, and you are willing to move, go South. That is where the lowest unemployment rate is right now, and that is where the jobs are, and that has been the fastest growing area of the country.

CAFFERTY: All right. So I decide I am going to look for a job in the security area, I am going to move to the Southern part of the United States. Help me find the job. What do I do to go about landing the paycheck?

YOUNG: Well, you really need to update your skills. That's the first thing.

CAFFERTY: I know.

YOUNG: And one way to do that, Jack...

CAFFERTY: I know. They keep telling me that.

YOUNG: Might be charm school, but...

(CROSSTALK)

YOUNG: ... for some other people, school -- would be going back to school. That's a good way to update your skills. Don't put all your faith in the Web. Everybody always thought that online was the way to go.

CAFFERTY: Somebody told me there are 200 million resumes on the Web, I mean, so you go and put your resume out there on the Web, it has got a lot of company...

YOUNG: Which is basically one resume for every American who is out looking for a job. Don't put your faith on the Web.

CAFFERTY: Sure. So that is good advice. Put that back up. I think we only got through two of them.

YOUNG: Have a pro check your resume. Good to have somebody look at it, no typos. When you are e-mailing it to someone, don't send attachments. Widen your horizons. You know, you might not want to be an anchor on a morning TV show, you might want to be an anchor on an overnight program if you have to be, or whatever it is. And finally, network, network, network. Find people in the industry that you're interested in, and that is the -- still the best way to get a job is knowing someone.

CAFFERTY: Hot jobs, Andy?

SERWER: Hot jobs. You know, there are some real doozies out here. I like forensic accountant -- of course, how could we forget -- my favorite, bioinformatician -- what is that? Well, of course, that is a computational biologist. I don't know what that is. That has something to do with measuring genes and counting things up. My favorite, though, comes up here, it's adventure guide. OK?

CAFFERTY: Oh, I like to do that.

SERWER: That's like Steve from the crocodile -- that's a beautiful crocodile. Look at that beautiful snake over there. That kind of thing. I mean, apparently there is more need for people like that? I thought we had one lunatic like that on the...

CAFFERTY: That would be fun, I mean, taking people on exotic excursions, adventures. I would like to do that.

SERWER: You could take them to New York, show them some of the freaks out here, right?

CAFFERTY: Yes, they have got snakes here.

SERWER: All kinds of people.

CAFFERTY: Andy Serwer, "Fortune" magazine, Lauren Young, "Smart Money" magazine. Interesting. I have learned a couple of things.

YOUNG: Thanks, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired January 2, 2003 - 09:23   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JACK CAFFERTY, CNN ANCHOR: We are starting the New Year with a focus on your finances. Many people finding it tough to find work. There are eight million-plus people looking for jobs in this country, but there are opportunities, if you know where to go.
And here to let us know where and how to go about doing this, Andy Serwer, "Fortune" magazine, Lauren Young, "Smart Money" magazine, tips on how to find the hot jobs. Unemployment at 6 percent, eight million people out there trying to find a job, and questions about whether the economy can begin to grow enough to generate new jobs.

ANDY SERWER, EDITOR AT LARGE, "FORTUNE": Yes. I mean, there is kind of a murky picture out there at best. Six percent, the worst rate it has been in eight years. Historically, though, Jack, that is not so bad. Easy to say sitting here. I'm employed.

CAFFERTY: For now.

SERWER: ... for now, thank you. I knew that was coming. He's hot today. He's hot.

It's tough for people out there looking for jobs. There's some optimism, though. Thirty-five percent of people surveyed, a new Career Builder survey say they are more optimistic now. They plan to find a job in 2003. I know that is up from last year, so people actually think that there are prospects out there. We had a woman on earlier who thought that she was going to be able to get one too.

CAFFERTY: Lauren, are there jobs out there to be had? I mean, people think there are, but what's the real deal?

LAUREN YOUNG, "SMART MONEY": There are. There are jobs out there. They are in fields, obviously -- some of the obvious ones like healthcare. I mean, obviously, there's a lot of doctors who are not working today, but there is a critical need for nurses, as well.

So health care is one of those areas that's still growing.

Also, technology, even though we have had this tech wreck. It is still helping the world work, and there are lots of areas in technology where there are jobs. Security is the new one, because all of a sudden, everybody cares about security, and it is not just about being a security guard. There is all different aspects of the security industry.

And finally, if you're looking for a job, and you are willing to move, go South. That is where the lowest unemployment rate is right now, and that is where the jobs are, and that has been the fastest growing area of the country.

CAFFERTY: All right. So I decide I am going to look for a job in the security area, I am going to move to the Southern part of the United States. Help me find the job. What do I do to go about landing the paycheck?

YOUNG: Well, you really need to update your skills. That's the first thing.

CAFFERTY: I know.

YOUNG: And one way to do that, Jack...

CAFFERTY: I know. They keep telling me that.

YOUNG: Might be charm school, but...

(CROSSTALK)

YOUNG: ... for some other people, school -- would be going back to school. That's a good way to update your skills. Don't put all your faith in the Web. Everybody always thought that online was the way to go.

CAFFERTY: Somebody told me there are 200 million resumes on the Web, I mean, so you go and put your resume out there on the Web, it has got a lot of company...

YOUNG: Which is basically one resume for every American who is out looking for a job. Don't put your faith on the Web.

CAFFERTY: Sure. So that is good advice. Put that back up. I think we only got through two of them.

YOUNG: Have a pro check your resume. Good to have somebody look at it, no typos. When you are e-mailing it to someone, don't send attachments. Widen your horizons. You know, you might not want to be an anchor on a morning TV show, you might want to be an anchor on an overnight program if you have to be, or whatever it is. And finally, network, network, network. Find people in the industry that you're interested in, and that is the -- still the best way to get a job is knowing someone.

CAFFERTY: Hot jobs, Andy?

SERWER: Hot jobs. You know, there are some real doozies out here. I like forensic accountant -- of course, how could we forget -- my favorite, bioinformatician -- what is that? Well, of course, that is a computational biologist. I don't know what that is. That has something to do with measuring genes and counting things up. My favorite, though, comes up here, it's adventure guide. OK?

CAFFERTY: Oh, I like to do that.

SERWER: That's like Steve from the crocodile -- that's a beautiful crocodile. Look at that beautiful snake over there. That kind of thing. I mean, apparently there is more need for people like that? I thought we had one lunatic like that on the...

CAFFERTY: That would be fun, I mean, taking people on exotic excursions, adventures. I would like to do that.

SERWER: You could take them to New York, show them some of the freaks out here, right?

CAFFERTY: Yes, they have got snakes here.

SERWER: All kinds of people.

CAFFERTY: Andy Serwer, "Fortune" magazine, Lauren Young, "Smart Money" magazine. Interesting. I have learned a couple of things.

YOUNG: Thanks, Jack.

CAFFERTY: Thank you.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com