DJ’s for PJ’s, a non-profit organization that provides new pairs of pajamas to benefit children in need, is having their next pajamas drive on April 9th in Boca Park and three other locations through the Las Vegas Valley. This annual drive is to benefit children that are removed from unhealthy home environments and placed in temporary shelters such as Child Haven. Sometimes these children arrive with torn T-shirts and shorts. Other times they arrive in nothing but diapers. So please make some time to drop by and donate some gently used or new pajamas to benefit those children or young adults who are in a difficult transitional state. The drive accepts pajamas for kids up to the age of 17. For more information you can also visit www.djforpjs.org

Locations:
1. Boca Park (Charleston & Rampart)

2. Kohl’s (I-215 & Valle Verde Drive)

3. Johnnie Walker RV Center (4784 Boulder Highway)

4. Santa Fe Station (US 95 & Rancho)

Time: 6AM to 7PM

Let me start by apologizing for my absence.  I have been ‘beyond’ busy and have neglected my commitment to provide updates on the employment market in Las Vegas.  I just found the bottom of my desk and realized I need to get everyone caught up. 

By now, most of you have heard that Nevada’s unemployment level jumped again, with Las Vegas’ level now over 10 percent.  With one out of every ten people in Las Vegas unemployed, this is the highest we have seen since 1983.  Job losses have occurred in nearly every industry.

But let me say this. . .“There still are jobs available in Las Vegas.”  They are just much harder to find.  Many of these jobs are not being advertised because the employers do not have the human resources to field all of the applicants.  So how do you find these jobs?  Tap your social network. 

No, I am not just talking about Facebook and LinkedIn.  Tap your entire social network…your friends, family and past colleagues.  Go to networking events.  Attend professional association meetings.  Get talking!!  The more people you meet and share your desire to work and expertise your will bring to an organization, the more likely you will be to find one of those ‘hidden’ jobs.

These hidden jobs will not be advertised.  Sophisticated employers are deploying their best resource to find talent right now….their current workforce.  They are tapping their best employees to find more people like them.  So when a job opening occurs, the hiring manager is able to interview 10 of the most qualified applicants that their own team has recommended, rather than 100 potentially unqualified applicants that bombarded their email box from ad posted in print or online.

In my last post, I mentioned the job creation that is expected with President Obama’s stimulus package.  Here is a website that will allow you to track where this job creation will begin: http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state/NV.  It will be up to you to track down who will be hiring for these jobs.  Most of the projects are transportation related.  The project will start with the Department of Transportation, but job creation will occur with all of the subcontractors hired to get the job done.  That means engineering, project management, general labor, administrative, purchasing and accounting jobs will need to be filled.  These jobs will more than likely be advertised unlike the others mentioned earlier.  Check out websites such as RecruitingNevada.com, CareerBuilder.com and even look at the Sunday classified section.

Good luck in your search!

In Business Las Vegas reports in this week’s edition that Clark County’s population “dropped during the past year after decades as one of America’s fastest growing counties”.

So much for our tagline.

In the last year, the county lost about 10,000 people.  Most folks believe this is the first drop in population in nearly 40 years.

Here’s the data (according to the Clark County Comprehensive Planning Department):